MotoGP Austria: open battle between Martin and Bagnaia

The MotoGP will make its stop in Austria this week at the Spielberg circuit for a weekend of pure spectacle. The Austrian Grand Prix, the eleventh race of the year, kicks off with the first free practice sessions of the premier class scheduled at 10:40 AM and 2:55 PM. On Saturday afternoon, after the final free practice sessions, it's time for qualifying, with the premier class starting at 10:45 AM, while the first points of the weekend will be awarded in the Sprint at 2:55 PM. The race takes place on Sunday at 2:00 PM.

So far, it's been an incredible MotoGP season, filled with thrilling duels and emotions. After the first nine rounds of 2024, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) leads the standings, just 3 points ahead of the Italian world champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). "Pecco," in great form since the Catalan GP, regained the top spot in the standings after the German GP, taking advantage of a crash by his rival Martin.

He entered the summer break with a ten-point lead over the current leader, 56 points ahead of Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), and 67 points ahead of Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). However, in the first race after the break, he lost his advantage, dropping back to second. The 13-point gap that Martin closed during the British GP at Silverstone erased the pre-break deficit and restored his lead in the championship.