MotoGP Recap - Acosta achieves first MotoGP Grand Prix win at the Red Bull Ring
26 September 2026Round Fifteen of the 2026 MotoGP season treated MotoGP fans to an unforgettable weekend at the Red Bull Ring, with a fairytale home race win for KTM in the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Austria, as Pedro Acosta changed the narrative of his MotoGP career so far.
Once again, there were changes to the MotoGP grid this weekend. SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team’s Ai Ogura returned to action following extensive recovery for a thumb injury that had required surgery. KTM Test Rider Pol Espargaro continued his duties as stand-in rider for Maverick Viñales as he recovers from corrective surgery, and after retiring from the previous Grand Prix due to illness, consultations with medical professionals led to Joan Mir withdrawing from the weekend, with Honda Test Rider Takaaki Nakagami stepping in. It has since been confirmed that Mir will also miss the upcoming rounds in Japan and Indonesia as he focuses on understanding the cause of his symptoms.
Acosta unbeatable on Friday, but Martin takes pole position
After topping both of Friday’s sessions, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pedro Acosta had positioned himself as the rider to beat, with hopes of his maiden premier class Grand Prix victory growing. But it was Jorge Martin who secured pole position on Saturday for Aprilia Racing, with a lap time 0.015s ahead of Ducati Lenovo Team’s Marc Marquez. Acosta managed to secure the final spot on the front row, lining up 3rd for the Sprint and Sunday’s race.
Martin fights back for Sprint win as disaster strikes for Acosta
A difficult start to Saturday’s Sprint for Jorge Martin saw the polesitter drop down as low as 8th on the opening lap, whilst Acosta grabbed hold of the lead, aiming to secure his second Sprint win. Martin was able to regain his rhythm and fight his way back through the field, passing Marc Marquez on Lap 8 to move into 2nd, but with Acosta ahead by 2.846s, Martin’s chances at victory looked low.
However with three laps to go, a momentary glance at his dash ended in disaster for Acosta, as he fell at Turn 2, handing the lead to Martin, who went on to claim his fourth Sprint win of the season. Finishing 1.026s ahead of Marc Marquez in 2nd, Martin took back the lead of the Championship with a three point advantage. Martin’s teammate Marco Bezzecchi took the final podium spot.
Acosta secures first MotoGP Grand Prix victory
Following Saturday’s costly mistake, Acosta was keen to ensure Sunday’s race had a different ending. It was Martin who initially took the lead, closely followed by Bezzecchi, with Acosta dropping down to 5th at the start. As the Aprilia Racing teammates battled at the front, Acosta began his charge, setting fastest laps whilst moving through the pack. By Lap 2, he was 3rd, and Lap 4 saw him pass Bezzecchi, his sights set firmly on race leader Martin. Chasing him down, on Lap 9, the move was done, and Acosta was once again leading at the Red Bull Ring. His first MotoGP Grand Prix victory was in sight, he’d shown throughout the weekend just how strong he was at the Red Bull Ring, but he’d also shown how one small error can have catastrophic results.
Keeping his composure, riding superbly whilst maintaining a sensible gap, Acosta kept the laps counting down, and as his team watched on from the pit wall, he reached the chequered flag to take his first Grand Prix win in the premier class, ahead of Martin and Bezzecchi. Celebrations began as KTM celebrated not only Acosta’s first win, but also their first win in 1449 days, since Miguel Oliveira won the Grand Prix of Thailand in 2022. A monumental victory for rider, team, and manufacturer, made even sweeter by it happening at KTM’s home track, and the home of the team’s main sponsor, Red Bull.
Guevara storms to Moto2 win
Izan Guevara has ensured his name remains in contention for the Moto2 Championship after achieving his second win of the season on Sunday. After taking the lead of the race on Lap 2, Guevara’s impressive form saw him build up such a strong lead that even losing the front during Lap 17 couldn’t bring other riders back into the fight. Guevara held on and took the win 1.728s ahead of polesitter Filip Salac, with David Alonso taking the final podium spot. Moto2 Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez finished just off of the podium in 4th, losing valuable points to Guevara who sits 2nd in the standings, just 35.5 points behind.
Quiles continues to close in on Moto3 title
Maximo Quiles took his ninth Moto3 win of the season on Sunday, after disaster for Almansa early on saw Quiles take a smooth ride to victory.
Sunday’s Moto3 race saw a leading group of four riders emerge early on, with David Almansa, Maximo Quiles, Alvaro Carpe, and Brian Uriarte riding out at the front. Having started 4th on the grid, Quiles soon found his way up to 2nd, and a gap formed between Almansa and Quiles back to Uriarte and Carpe. As the race continued, Quiles was catching up to Almansa, but Lap 8 saw Almansa crash out at Turn 2, promoting Quiles to the lead, with a gap of 1.7s back to Uriarte and Carpe. With another striking performance, Quiles took the victory ahead of Uriarte in 2nd, with Carpe taking 3rd. Quiles’ lead in the Moto3 Championship standings now sees him have the first opportunity to clinch the Moto3 title next time out in Japan.
Final rider confirmed for 2027 MotoGP grid
We now know the full 22 rider line up for MotoGP in 2027, with the announcement that Senna Agius will be moving up to MotoGP next season, joining Tech3. The final step in the 2027 MotoGP grid puzzle lies with Honda, as we wait to find out who out of David Alonso and Diogo Moreira will be partnering Fabio Quartararo next season in the Factory team, and who will be working with Johann Zarco at LCR.
A short break then sees the start of MotoGP’s flyaway rounds, beginning with the Motol Grand Prix of Japan at the Mobility Resort Motegi. The circuit where Marc Marquez won the 2025 MotoGP title won’t decide the MotoGP World Champion this season, but will a new Moto3 World Champion be crowned?
