Martin, riding for Aprilia, topped the qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring, posting a best lap of 1 minute 27.917 seconds. His time was 15 thousandths of a second faster than Marquez, who qualified second on his Ducati.
The sprint race, scheduled for 15:00 on Saturday, will feature Martin and Marquez on the front row, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta completing the trio. Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi will start from the second row after recording the fourth‑fastest time.
Martin’s last pole in the premier class came at the Dutch Grand Prix in Assen on June 27, making this his first pole of the season. He told Sky that once he felt the bike “right,” he was able to push “like a beast,” noting that the team had improved the machine since the previous day.
Marquez, the current championship leader with 274 points – tied with Martin – expressed satisfaction with his performance, saying the bike felt much better than in the previous session, especially on the dry lap. He also warned that Pedro Acosta remains a contender for the title, as many races still lie ahead.
Francesco Bagnaia, also on a Ducati, qualified seventh after advancing from Q1 and will line up on the third row. His placement reflects a modest improvement but leaves him further back from the front‑row battle for the win.
The Austrian round is the next step in a tightly contested championship, with Martin and Marquez level on points and several riders still mathematically in the title hunt. Sunday’s main race will determine whether Martin can convert his pole into a victory and close the gap in the standings.