08.11.2026
MotoGP 2026 - Round 20 of 22, Lusail International Circuit, Qatar– Race
Highlights and key moments from race day at Lusail:
- Enea Bastianini scored a third top-five result from the last four Grands Prix after two demanding battles in front of a record crowd at Lusail
- Pedro Acosta heads the early running for the final podium spot but then has to lower his pace and jostles for P5 with his brandmate. Pedro collected 10 points for P6 and currently sits 4th in the world
- Maverick Viñales obtains three points for 13th on the day. Brad Binder is forced into pitlane and out of the race with a technical problem
- Moto3 victory again for the KTM RC4 while Carpe is the lead KTM GP Academy rider in a hectic contest. Brian Uriarte’s comeback to 14th allows the Spaniard to wear the Rookie of the Year label
Darkness fell across Qatar for the 20th Grand Prix of the season and the 24th to take place at Lusail but the powerful and striking lighting system of the circuit helped create one of the most spectacular venues for MotoGP. The race lasted for 22 laps in the stiff Lusail breeze, at a challenging track a short trek north from Doha and on the fringe of the desert, and with the abrasive surface creating a strategic game for tire preservation.
Pedro Acosta, Enea Bastianini, Brad Binder and Maverick Viñales started the latest MotoGP dash from P8, P10. P12 and P15 respectively. Acosta lunged into contention for the podium in the opening laps and managed his tire pressure in a brief dice with Marc Marquez. He then maintained his pace in P4 but was caught by Bastianini. Enea had been having a long, intense duel with Ai Ogura and the trio closed up in the final 5 laps. The two Red Bull KTM riders then rallied for 5th and the scrap was won by ‘The Beast’ for his third top five result of the year and the second in succession. Viñales endured the 22 laps with his painful left shoulder to finished 13th for 3 points and Binder had to retire with a technical issue.
Acosta has 309 points and is 4th in the MotoGP world championship standings. He needs 48 to rise to the medal positions with a maximum of 74 left to win this year. Bastianini is also in the top ten with 10th place.
After three back-to-back Grands Prix and trips to Australia, Malaysia and Qatar, MotoGP will now enjoy a last free weekend of the season before the finale in Portugal and Valencia. Round 21 will speed around the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao from November 20-22.
Enea Bastianini, 5th and 10th in the championship: “It was tough. I kept a good line at the start and found a good position. I then tried to keep close to Pedro and Marc for the podium but in the middle part of the race Marc was gone. I had pressure with Ai as well! We had a lot of chatter on the left corners. I cannot complain too much because we didn’t have that problem during the weekend. We did a good job, and we were the first KTM this time. I’m getting closer to the podium but it hasn’t arrived yet. We have two more chances and I want to give it to the team.”
Pedro Acosta, 6th and 4th in the championship: “Today I’m happy with the decisions we took and now we have to understand why I had a few issues around the tire. We took a risk and we turned the weekend around from Friday; that was quite impressive. We were a top four option today and close to the podium battle but we had to play with the pressures. We made the best of the weekend and showed good potential. Today’s pace was good, especially at the beginning.”
Maverick Viñales, 13th and 23rd in the championship: “Very tough. I had to use my right arm a lot and started to get arm-pump but I’m happy to finish the race and also to keep a good rhythm; which I wasn’t really expecting. I tried to go forward but it was complicated. I will go to the doctor’s this week to make some scans and to see why this condition is not improving.”
Brad Binder, DNF and 12th in the championship: “At the start of the race everything seemed quite OK then I started to miss some shifts and had some massive vibration; that was it. Unfortunate…but it was a tricky weekend and I’m looking forward to starting fresh in Portimao. I need to understand what I need to do different to find a bit more speed.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Our expectations were a bit higher today than the final positions. The highlight was Enea’s 5th and Pedro’s 6th but we feel there was potential to do more after a solid Sprint yesterday. Unfortunately Pedro’s race was challenging because he had to battle tire pressure and Brad’s technical issue was another piece of bad luck. We will keep working for Portugal.”
Grand Prix of Qatar photographs can be found HERE
Results MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar
1. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Aprilia 41:29.173
2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +3.083
3. Raul Fernandez (ESP) Aprilia +3.614
5. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +6.948
6. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +7.413
13. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +21.095
DNF. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
World Championship standings MotoGP
1. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 431 points
2. Jorge Martin (ESP) Aprilia, 371
3. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Aprilia, 357
4. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 309
10. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 147
12. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 118
23. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 17
KTM GP Academy
Moto3 opened the Grand Prix of Qatar at 16.00 local time, so in the last moments of full Lusail sunshine and with hot track temperatures. The KTM GP Academy assumed their places on the start grid with Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brian Uriarte in P3 and Alvaro Carpe in P4. Red Bull KTM Tech3 duo Rico Salmela and Valentin Perrone rolled into P10 and P11.
Uriarte was unlucky to be tagged by another rider into the first turn of the second lap and crashed. He remounted to finish 14th for the last two points on the day; enough for Rookie of the Year honors (having earned two wins and six podiums for the season so far). Carpe and Salmela were the two front-runners until the race rhythm splintered the group. Carpe took part in a 4-way fight for 4th and was 5th by the line. Salmela, a Qatar debutant, classified 12th and Perrone was 16th.
KTM have already banked the 2026 Constructors trophy. Carpe is 3rd in the Riders’ standings while Uriarte is 9 points behind in 4th.
Moto2 saw Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Collin Veijer and Jose Antonio Rueda qualify with promising positions on the second and third rows of the grid. The Grand Prix ran for 18 laps but Veijer misjudged his braking into Turn 1 and crashed. Rueda rode well and tussled in the mid-top ten until surging through to 8th, equaling his personal best result in his rookie season so far and his fifth top ten.
Results Moto3 Grand Prix of Qatar
1. David Almansa (ESP) KTM, 33:09.479
2. Adrian Fernandez (ESP) Honda +2.516
3. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team +2.585
5. Alvaro Carpe (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +5.700
12. Rico Salmela (FIN) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +11.982
14. Brian Uriarte (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +14.318
15. Marco Morelli (ARG) CFMOTO Aspar Team +15.151
16. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +20.176
World Championship standings Moto3
1. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 392 points
2. David Almansa (ESP) KTM, 253
3. Alvaro Carpe (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 216
4. Brian Uriarte (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 207
7. Marco Morelli (ARG) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 141
9. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 121
11. Rico Salmela (FIN) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 93
Results Moto2 Grand Prix of Qatar
1. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team 35:13.340
2. Ivan Ortola (ESP) +2.265
3. Alex Escrig (ESP) +2.285
4. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Aspar Team +4.143
8. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +9.237
DNF. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo
World Championship standings Moto2
1. Manuel Gonzalez (ESP) 286.5 points
2. Izan Guevara (ESP) 273
3. Ivan Ortola (ESP) 219.5
4. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 215
5. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 204
11. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 89.5
16. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 56
PRESS CONTACT
Evangelia Sissis
PR Manager MotoGP
M: +43 676 665 2742
E: evangelia.sissis@ktm.com