31.10.2026
MotoGP 2026 - Round 19 of 22, Sepang International Circuit – Qualification and Sprint
Red Bull KTM resumed their quest for MotoGP honors with Pedro Acosta’s impressive victory through the Malaysian Grand Prix Sprint today. Acosta judged damp conditions at Sepang perfectly on the KTM RC16 as the Spaniard lifted his second Saturday winner’s medal of 2026. Brad Binder in 7th and Enea Bastianini in 9th ensured three top ten results. Moto3™ qualifying turned out well for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brian Uriarte with 2nd place on the grid.
Highlights and key moments from Sepang:
- Pedro Acosta qualifies on the front row and seizes the lead of the 10-lap Sprint with three laps to go. #37’s win is his first since P1 at the season-opening Thai Grand Prix
- Brad Binder starts brilliantly from 15th and rides to 7th for three Sprint points
- Enea Bastianini claims the last Sprint point in 9th while Red Bull KTM Tech3 teammate Maverick Viñales takes 15th after gambling on a bike swap in the showery conditions
- Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brian Uriarte starts the Moto3 Grand Prix from the middle of the front row while Collin Veijer will set off from a decent 6th for the Moto2 race
The 26th Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit began in hot and ominous weather conditions. The paddock swiftly returned to work and speed at the long, wide and popular track after their journey from Australia this week. Friday opened in a positive way with three KTM RC16 riders in the top five. Practice allowed this potential to continue as Pedro Acosta was 4th quickest, Enea Bastianini 7th and Maverick Viñales ranked 8th for the Spaniard’s first direct-to-Q2 appearance this year.
On Saturday Q2 unfolded across a tarmac that was slick and greasy and suffering degradation, but the riders were able to attack the chrono. Acosta ran to a lap less than a tenth of a second from Pole Position and was content with P3 and the front row. Bastianini was 7th and under half a second from the top time after being fastest in FP2. Red Bull KTM Tech3 teammate Viñales was P12 for the fourth row. Brad Binder was 5th in Q1 to sit 15th on the grid.
The Malaysian Sprint was complicated by rainfall affecting several corners from the first few laps of the 10-lap distance. White flags were quickly waved; meaning riders could enter the pits and change to their second bike. Acosta had made an eye-catching start and was immediately in the dispute for the lead. After 6 laps balancing his grip and potential, Pedro made his move to the front and then kept steady and mistake-free with slick tires as the showers increased on the hot asphalt to grab the checkered flag. Binder had surged into the top ten from a P15 launch and then used his acumen in mixed conditions to confirm 7th. Bastianini tried to make some aggressive moves in the first two laps but then had to ease his proactivity in the conditions and as other riders pulled into the pits to change bikes. The Italian took 9th. Viñales was one of the riders who gambled on his second KTM RC16 with wet settings but the rain only started to plummet on the cooldown lap. Maverick finished 15th.
The 20-lap Grand Prix starts at 14.00 local time on Sunday and 08.00 CET.
Pedro Acosta, 3rd in qualification, 1st in the Sprint: “It feels like the first Sprint win! I was quite focused with three laps to go in the rain and to not make any mistake like in Austria. We made a good job. Turn 4 and Turn 10 were quite bad but it was also tricky to know if it was raining that much. I think we managed in the best way, and we took the risks we needed. Happy. We have to see what we can do tomorrow but it will be a massively different race, managing the tires and these things.”
Brad Binder, 15th in qualification, 7th in the Sprint: “The race was much better than qualifying. I got a really, really good start and passed a lot of guys into Turn 1. After that it was difficult to understand how much you could push in Turns 4-5-6. The rest of the track was bone-dry. At the end of the day I’m happy to have 7th from 15th. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”
Enea Bastianini, 7th in qualification, 9th in the Sprint: “My start was not great and I hope we can do something for tomorrow. It’s important here because it’s tough to come back, and if you use the tires in the first laps then you lose everything. From the second lap I was drifting. I tried to stay in my position and when it started to rain a bit in the second and first sectors I lost a bit more. Anyway, it was important to be in the first row or the second. I need to start well to think of something good for tomorrow. We were competitive this morning and the afternoon we were close. I think we have the potential for a good race.”
Maverick Viñales, 12th in qualification, 15th in the Sprint: “Not so bad but mixed conditions are always tough. I understood again that I need power in the arm; that’s the only way to ride fast. As soon as I finish Friday then Saturday I get slower. So, it’s clear I need more strength on the left side. I was P14 with three laps to go and pulled in. The [wet] bike was ready to go so I went for it, just in case it started to rain hard. Tomorrow I will try to finish the race and look to the next step.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “A really good day for us. From Friday we felt our performance was quite good here in Sepang and the track and conditions fitted our technical package. The Sprint showed – again – the level that Pedro has at the moment. Of course, it is his speed but also how he manages the race and keeps calm in those challenging conditions. Big respect. Great also that Brad finished 7th, Enea made it to 9th and Maverick was also quicker.”
Grand Prix of Malaysia photographs can be found HERE
Results Qualifying MotoGP Grand Prix of Malaysia
1. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati +1:56.493
2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.070
3. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.084
7. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +0.477
12. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.244
15. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:58.127 (Q1)
Results MotoGP Sprint Grand Prix of Malaysia
1. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 20:04.098
2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.578
3. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Aprilia +1.310
7. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +8.484
9. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +9.101
15. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1:42.843
KTM GP Academy
Moto3 began with the KTM GP Academy determined to get back to speed after missing race action at Phillip Island. Sepang carries special significance for KTM as the scene of the initial Moto3 world championship win with the KTM RC4 in 2012; the first of nine titles for the firm.
On Friday Red Bull KTM Tech3 rookie Rico Salmela was the quickest of the quartet with a lap-time that placed the Finn in 2nd. Saturday’s hot Q2 saw an equally fiery pace from the rest of the group as Brian Uriarte emerged from a dramatic session to qualify 2nd on the grid and was a marginal 0.084 away from a fourth Pole of the year. Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Alvaro Carpe was fractions of a second adrift and closed the afternoon with P5 for Sunday. A crash for Salmela meant P18 on the grid while Valentin Perrone could not break out of Q1 and will start from P20.
Moto2™ Q2 was an encouraging session for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Collin Veijer. The Dutchman, racing at the track where he scored his first GP win in Moto3 in 2023, rode strongly for the 6th best lap in Q2 and will attempt the 17-lap chase from the edge of the second row. The top ten in Moto2 was split by less than a second. Jose Antonio Rueda was 21st fastest.
Results Qualifying Moto3 Grand Prix of Malaysia
1. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team 2:10.396
2. Brian Uriarte (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.084
3. Hakim Danish (MAL), KTM +0.133
5. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.208
12. Marco Morelli (ARG) CFMOTO Aspar Team +0.805
18.Rico Salmela (FIN), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.371
20. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 2:11.823 (Q1)
Results Qualifying Moto2 Grand Prix of Malaysia
1. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team 2:02.875
2. Angel Piqueras (ESP) +0.541
3. Izan Guevara (ESP) +0.611
4. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team +0.616
6. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.685
21. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo 2:03.993 (Q1)
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