20.06.2026
MotoGP 2026 - Round 09 of 22, Brno – Qualification and Sprint
Enea Bastianini delivered a 7th place finish for Red Bull KTM Tech3 after gaining ten positions at a sun-kissed Brno today. The Italian was part of an entertaining top ten scrap for points along with Brad Binder around the fast and flowing Czech course at the start of another 2026 double-header.
Highlights and key moments from Brno:
- Enea Bastianini barrels back from P17 on the grid to secure Sprint points for the third time this season
- Brad Binder was also prolific with his overtaking after starting P19 to reach the top nine and bagged Saturday points
- Pedro Acosta and Maverick Viñales were denied possible Sprint points after separate crashes in the same sector of the circuit
- Alvaro Carpe fills the role of leading Moto3™ qualifier with P4 on the Red Bull KTM Ajo RC4
MotoGP remained in central Europe for the ninth fixture of the season and with the enticing 14-corner, 5.4km Brno layout providing a hot stage for more action. The weather combined with the amphitheater setting of the circuit cranked up the atmosphere and anticipation. Red Bull KTM arrived in the paddock with expectation after Pedro Acosta’s double podium haul in both the Sprint and the GP race in 2025 and the improving speed of the other three KTM RC16 riders. Brno was the scene of KTM’s first premier class victory thanks to Brad Binder in 2020.
Acosta made his way to Q2 directly on Friday as one of seven riders to break the old lap record. Maverick Viñales was less than a few hundreds of a second away from the top ten. Through Q1 on Saturday morning the Spaniard was again close; just 3 hundreds distant from his first Q2 of the season.
Acosta pushed for several flyers from a total of seven laps in Q2 and was 8th fastest. He led Viñales in 13th, Enea Bastianini in 17th and Binder in 20th.
The Sprint lasted for 10 laps. Pedro diced for a top five position but also encountered a technical issue that caused some distraction and he lost traction into Turn 11 at mid-race distance. The emphasis fell to Bastianini who was part of a top ten tussle and pulled through to 7th by the flag. Behind him Binder was unrelenting in his quest for rear wheels: the south African found room to move from the last row to snare 9th and the last point in the final laps. Maverick, on the eve of his 200th premier class start on Sunday, crashed out of Turn 12 on the first lap while hunting a promising position in the points.
The MotoGP race day schedule remains unchanged for CEST with the 21-lap GP starting at 14.00.
Enea Bastianini, 17th in qualification, 7th in the Sprint: “We did not get the strategy correct in qualifying today and I had traffic. It was a mistake because Q2 might have been possible. We tried to save what we could in the Sprint and I’m happy with the result and my confidence. I could recover positions although I was a bit lucky with some crashes in front of me. I could bring my pace and with 7th we could bring some information for tomorrow.”
Brad Binder, 20th in qualification, 9th in the Sprint: “A better second half to my Saturday. In qualifying I hit track limits on my first attempt and then lost the front on the next two flying laps. So, 20th. I started 19th and finished 9th, so a good comeback even if I did have a little bit of help with some guys going down. If we can make another step in the right direction tomorrow then it might be a bit better.”
Pedro Acosta, 8th in qualification, DNF in the Sprint: “We had a technical issue with the rear device and I crashed trying to bring it back. When you are not focusing then it’s easy that this can happen. Sorry to the team because maybe I could have managed it in another way and finished the race 7th or 8th but that’s not really what I want. We have to analyze what happened and keep going. I think we would have had pace for the top five today.”
Maverick Viñales, 13th in qualification, DNF in the Sprint: “I closed the line, touched the white line and crashed. I’m finding the limits of myself and the bike. I’m quite happy with the day and it has been a positive weekend so far. I need to keep building up. I try to smile because I know I have a handicap in some ways, with the left corners, but its good I feel some fatigue because I am building up strength and it’s also important I am understanding the bike and how to manage the brakes. I can put a lot of corner speed here in places…but we still need to learn more.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “A challenging day today here in Brno. Last year this was a strong race for us and expectations were high for this weekend but, as we see, competition is tough, and the lap-times have improved a lot. Qualifying was not our best and that made the Sprint a bit more tricky and unfortunately Pedro and Maverick, the quickest KTMs so far, crashed out. Pedro had a technical issue that we know will be fixed for the longer race tomorrow, where we also hope and feel we have the chance to make a comeback. The positives today were that Enea and Brad could come back strongly - even though the grid positions were not ideal - and to get both of them in the points was satisfactory.”
Grand Prix of Czechia photographs can be found HERE
Results Qualifying MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia
1. Ai Ogura (JPN) Aprilia 1:51.139
2. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA) Ducati +0.211
3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +0.244
8. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.682
13. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:52.053 (Q1)
17. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:52.357 (Q1)
20. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:52.556 (Q1)
Results MotoGP Sprint Grand Prix of Czechia
1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati 18:55.527
2. Ai Ogura (JPN) Aprilia +0.241
3. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.794
7. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +8.110
9. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +10.984
DNF. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
DNF. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3
KTM GP Academy
Moto3 tested the horsepower reserves of the machinery with much of the second half of the Brno course climbing up the vast hill to Turn 13. The circuit was a challenge for the KTM GP Academy, especially the Moto3 rookies Brian Uriarte and Rico Salmela. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe consistently roamed the leading positions on Friday and topped Free Practice 2 on Saturday morning.
After the grid-deciding rush through Q2 during the afternoon it was Carpe who continued to excel on the KTM RC4. The Spaniard was 4th quickest and fractions of a second ahead of teammate Uriarte in 5th. Valentin Perrone was 14th fastest with Salmela in 18th and on the sixth row. Moto3 will whet the appetite of race fans on Sunday morning with a 16-lap contest.
Moto2 separated 11 riders by one second after Q2 in another tight display of the category’s parity. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Collin Veijer was 12th. The Dutchman, who made Q2 for the first time in the class at Brno in 2025 while a rookie in the division, will sit on the fourth row as he aims to get back into top ten reckoning. Jose Antonio Rueda came to Czechia with memories of his 2025 Moto3 victory and with growing confidence, thanks to his improving Moto2 speed. The Spaniard will enter the 18-lap race on Sunday from the fifth row courtesy of his P15 in qualifying.
Results Qualifying Moto3 Grand Prix of Czechia
1. David Almansa (ESP), KTM 2:04.069
2. Hakim Danish (MAL), KTM +0.017
3. Maximo Quiles (ESP), CFMOTO Aspar Team +0.421
4. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.565
5. Brian Uriarte (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.574
14. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.445
18. Rico Salmela (FIN), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +2.028
20. Marco Morelli (ARG) CFMOTO Aspar Team 2:05.792 (Q1)
Results Qualifying Moto2 Grand Prix of Czechia
1. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team 1:57.718
2. Filip Salac (CZE) +0.205
3. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team +0.389
12. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.053
15. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.240
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