Ducati’s Mark Marquez extended his championship lead after winning the Motogue Austria Grand Prix for the first time, bounced back on a late charge from rookie Fermin Aldegar.
He was keeping his sixth consecutive 37-point weekend, as the 32-year-old, one of just four circuits on the current calendar, hadn’t won before.
From fourth on the grid, Mark Marquez sat patiently behind longtime leader Marco Betzecchi and had to fight hard against Aprilia to lead on lap 28 and lap 20.
But he was still under pressure on the final lap because of the charged Fermin Aldegu, who carved a mass of time from his lead.
However, Marquez increased his pace to reach checkered flag 1.118, avoiding Aldegaea to collect the ninth victory of the season.
Marc Marquez’s championship lead is up to 142 points as their nearest championship rivals Pecco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez struggle to finish 8th and 10th.
Aprilia’s Marco Betzecchi converted the pole into a hole shot at the start of the Grand Prix, and then turned Bagnaia into turn 1 as Mark Marquez jumped up to third place.
Factory Ducati Duo Bagnaia and Marquez fought hard in turns 3 and 4, with the former retaining their advantages in the brakes.
However, Marquez took his teammates at turn 3 with a big charge on his second tour.
Betzecchi’s pace in the first half of the Grand Prix turned out to be strong, with Marquez having to reach within four tenths of Aprilia until the eighth lap.
At the start of the 14th lap, Marquez’s pace dropped slightly, causing Betzecchi’s lead to grow again, and his advantage returned to 0.9 seconds.
However, Marquez steadily lacked this gap over the next few laps and began an assault on the lead on turn 4 of 19 laps.
However, Bezzecchi retaliated, but returned the lead to a left-handed turn six.
He tried to fight back when Marquez charged in Turn 1 at the start of the 20th lap, but was forced to the outside of the circuit, with Ducati attacking the front.
Five laps, Gresini Ducati Rookie Aldeguer came in second in a slow charge on turn 3, away from the group behind him on the previous tour.
Aldeguer put pressure on Marquez, but the championship leader ultimately kept him at bay.
Betzecchi was third on the podium, with the 2.308s 2.308 seconds from the lead, and Pedro Acosta was fourth ahead of Tech3’s steady Enea Bastianini.
Honda’s Joanne Mir fought sixth ahead of KTM’s Blood Binder, but Bagnaia actually faded to the disappointing eighth, threatening the pace of the race’s victory.
Raul Fernandez of Truckhouse Aprilia was ninth, but Alex Marquez couldn’t get higher than 10 times with sister Grecini Ducati after taking on a long lap penalty on 4 laps.
Franco Morbidelli of VR46 was 11th, the sole representative of Valentino Rossi’s team, and saw the checkered flag as teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio’s GP25 expired epicly late.
Johann Zarco was 12th in the LCR Honda ahead of factory HRC rider Luca Marini, but Truckhouse Aiogra and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartalaro completed the top 15.
Reigning world champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia) crashed on lap 14, but appeared unharmed after a visit to the medical center.