Pedro Acosta Fastest in First Practice at Austrian MotoGP
Listen to the story
Pedro Acosta recorded the fastest time in the first free practice session for the Austrian MotoGP. The session took place at the Red Bull Ring on Thursday.
Acosta rides for KTM, an Austrian motorbike company. Because the race is held in Austria, this is considered a home race for the team.
Fellow KTM rider Aleix Espargaró also posted a strong time. Together, the two riders helped KTM shine on its home track during the session.
French rider Johann Zarco finished in fifth place. Zarco is one of the experienced riders in the MotoGP championship.
Thursday was Media Day at the Red Bull Ring. This is a day when riders and teams speak with journalists before the on-track action begins.
Free practice sessions like this one allow riders to get used to the circuit conditions. Teams also use the time to test setup changes on their motorbikes.
Results from these early sessions can give an early sense of which riders and manufacturers may be competitive over the race weekend, though positions often change by the final race.
Vocabulary5 words
- free practice
- a session before the race where riders test their bikes
- home race
- a race held in the country of a rider's or team's origin
- championship
- a series of races to find the best rider or team
- circuit
- another word for a racetrack
- setup
- how a motorbike is adjusted to perform well
Quiz
Answer key
1. It is a home race for the Austrian company 2. Acosta and Espargaró 3. Riders and teams speaking with journalists
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Pedro Acosta recorded the fastest time in the first free _____ session for the Austrian MotoGP.
The session took place at the Red Bull _____ on Thursday.
Acosta rides for KTM, an _____ motorbike company.
Because the race is held in Austria, this is considered a _____ race for the team.
Fellow KTM rider Aleix _____ also posted a strong time.
French rider Johann Zarco finished in _____ place.
Zarco is one of the experienced riders in the MotoGP _____.
Thursday was _____ Day at the Red Bull Ring.
Free practice sessions like this one allow riders to get used to the _____ conditions.
Teams also use the time to test _____ changes on their motorbikes.
Discussion questions
- Why might practice sessions matter to teams and riders before a race weekend?
- Do you think home advantage plays a role in motorsport? Why or why not?
- What skills do you think are important for a MotoGP rider?
- Have you ever watched a motorsport event? What did you think of it?