Marc Márquez continued his relentless march towards a seventh MotoGP crown with a commanding performance at the Austrian Grand Prix, celebrating the 1,000th premier class race in history with a dominant sprint-race double. The Spanish rider claimed victory in both the Saturday sprint and the Sunday feature race, extending his remarkable winning streak to six consecutive Grands Prix – a feat he last achieved in 2014.
Starting from the second row, Márquez displayed patience and precision in the early laps, carefully managing his pace behind pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi. The Italian launched strongly off the line and led into the first corner, fending off Márquez and Francesco Bagnaia. The opening exchanges were fierce, with Bagnaia briefly reclaiming second after Márquez’s first attempt, but the six-time champion wasted little time in striking back on the following lap. From there, it was a matter of timing his charge, biding his moment before overtaking Bezzecchi and pulling clear.
Bezzecchi, who had secured his first pole with Aprilia, looked strong in the early stages but could not maintain his pace once Márquez turned up the pressure. He eventually settled for third behind Gresini Racing’s rookie Fermin Aldeguer, who surged late to snatch second place. For Aldeguer, it was another encouraging display in his debut season, showing consistency and resilience against more experienced rivals.
Alex Márquez endured a frustrating afternoon. Penalized with a long-lap penalty for his role in a crash at the previous Czech Grand Prix, he slipped down the order after a poor start and could only recover to 10th place. Despite his struggles, the Márquez brothers remain first and second in the overall standings, though Marc now enjoys a massive 142-point advantage over Alex with nine rounds left to contest.
Reflecting on his performance, Marc Márquez expressed both joy and caution, noting the importance of maintaining focus. While Austria marked his first career win at the Red Bull Ring, his sights remain fixed firmly on the bigger picture: securing another world title. With his current form, few would bet against him.
The MotoGP paddock now shifts its attention to the next round, where Márquez will look to extend his unbeaten streak even further. For his rivals, the challenge is becoming increasingly daunting as he edges ever closer to another chapter of MotoGP history.
