Jorge Martin, the current leader in the MotoGP World Championship, set a blistering pace at the Austrian Grand Prix, claiming pole position with a new lap record. The Spaniard, riding for Prima Pramac Racing, secured the top spot with a time of 1:27.748 seconds at the Red Bull Ring. This puts him in a strong position to extend his three-point lead over championship rival Francesco Bagnaia in Saturday’s sprint race.
Despite nursing a minor finger injury, Martin displayed remarkable determination. He commented, “It was difficult. Yesterday I had this cut on my finger that I thought was going to get better but this morning it was really painful. They just stitched me and at least I can ride. While riding is not a big problem, I was able to work well in the morning, even if it’s obviously disturbing me a little bit. But now I feel confident for the evening. (This is) a really nice track for me.”
Bagnaia, who dominated practice on Friday, secured second place. The two-time MotoGP champion will be looking to close the gap in the championship standings during the sprint race. Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez, currently fourth in the championship, completed the front row.
Aleix Espargaro took fourth place, followed by Jack Miller, Maverick Vinales, and Enea Bastianini in fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively. The Austrian Grand Prix promises to be an exciting race with Martin starting from pole position and Bagnaia eager to challenge for the lead.
