Pedro Acosta, 2026 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
Pedro Acosta, 2026 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
LIVE

MotoGP Austria as it happened

Live coverage of the race at the 2026 Austria MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring with Jorge Martin starting from pole position.

Live updates from the race at the 2026 Austria MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring. Jorge Martin starts from pole position, and the race is due to start at 14:00 local time.

Key Moments

  • Marc Marquez makes podium charge before dropping to P7 with rear grip issues
  • Acosta from 5th to 1st in 10 laps as he passes Martin
  • Martin leads early laps, fends off Bezzecchi
  • Race to start at 14:00 local time/13:00 BST

Jorge Martin starts from pole position today as he looks to double up after winning the Sprint yesterday. The Sprint win was both fortuitous, for Pedro Acosta's crash, but also well-earned, for his clinical move through the field after losing ground in the first lap in the incident at turn two with Marc Marquez, in which Martin says he "almost crashed".

Acosta was obviously furious after letting that 2.5-second lead go in the closing laps. He explained afterwards that the crash happened when he checked his dashboard to make sure he was okay on fuel to make it to the end of the 14-lap Sprint, and simply missed his braking marker. He's still been the benchmark rider this weekend and has a shot - from third on the grid - to win his first premier class grand prix today.

Marc Marquez starts between Martin and Acosta on the front row. He was subdued after the race yesterday, and admitted that he simply didn't have the pace of Acosta and Martin, from whom he said it would've been "not smart" to defend when the Aprilia rider passed him for second.

Marco Bezzecchi moved up from fourth to third as a result of Acosta's crash, important points for his championship hopes, which remain slim. He's now 38 points behind Martin.

Marquez has been the best Ducati this weekend but the others have struggled to find rear grip with the harder-construction tyre Michelin brings to the Red Bull Ring, including Alex Marquez who said he had "zero fun" in the Sprint, in which he finished fifth. Most affected by this yesterday was Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was perplexed by his difficulties to find speed with the tyre given its the same one as was used at Goiania where he was on the podium in both races.

Francesco Bagnaia had struggled even more than Di Giannantonio on Friday, but was much better on Saturday, qualifying on the third row and finishing in the points. It's not where three-time Austria winner Bagnaia expects to be, of course, but he said afterwards that advice from Dani Pedrosa helped him find some steps forward.

20 Sep 2026
17:23
Ducati "not like the one we know"

Alex Marquez crashed out early today after dropping outside the top-10 in the early laps.

He, like most of the Ducati riders, had suffered with rear grip all weekend, and said after the race today that the Desmosedici GP was "not like the one we know" as it could not be adapted to work with the harder-construction Michelin rear tyre this weekend.

Full story here.

Alex Marquez leads Enea Bastianini, 2026 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
Alex Marquez leads Enea Bastianini, 2026 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
16:24
Martin: Acosta was “braking like an animal”

Jorge Martin: Pedro Acosta “braking like an animal”, could join MotoGP title fight

Pedro Acosta, Jorge Martin, 2026 Red Bull Ring MotoGP.
Pedro Acosta, Jorge Martin, 2026 Red Bull Ring MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
16:23
Pedro Acosta felt the pressure after Sprint "f**k up"

Pedro Acosta: “I was sh**ting my pants” before breakthrough Austrian MotoGP victory

Pedro Acosta, 2026 Red Bull Ring MotoGP.
Pedro Acosta, 2026 Red Bull Ring MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
15:30
‘I feel lucky’ - Marc Marquez’s Austrian MotoGP wrecked by brake issue

Marc Marquez says his Austrian GP was compromised by a brake issue.

‘I feel lucky’ - Marc Marquez’s Austrian MotoGP wrecked by brake issue

Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse, 2026 Austrian MotoGP
Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse, 2026 Austrian MotoGP
© Gold and Goose


 

14:58
Jorge Martin confirms major surgery decision after taking MotoGP title lead

Jorge Martin has made a decision on whether or not he will have arm pump surgery.

Jorge Martin confirms major surgery decision after taking MotoGP title lead

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing, 2026 Austrian MotoGP
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing, 2026 Austrian MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
14:58
"It took a long time": Quartararo reacts to Acosta win

Yamaha was already the only brand with a long winless streak than KTM in MotoGP, but Fabio Quartararo was able to praise Pedro Acosta after the Spaniard ended the Austrian factory's drought today.

The Frenchman also talked about his own race, saying it was essentially inevitable that he would drop out of the points despite starting on the third row.

Full story here.

Pedro Acosta, 2026 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix, cooldown lap. Credit: Gold and Goose.
Pedro Acosta, 2026 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix, cooldown lap. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
14:19
‘Closing a circle’ - Pedro Acosta’s first words as a MotoGP race winner

Pedro Acosta reacts to his maiden MotoGP race win.

‘Closing a circle’ - Pedro Acosta’s first words as a MotoGP race winner

Pedro Acosta, KTM Factory Racing, 2026 Austrian MotoGP
Pedro Acosta, KTM Factory Racing, 2026 Austrian MotoGP
© Gold and Goose


 

 


 

14:08
Austrian MotoGP: Points

Austria: New 2026 MotoGP World Championship standings

Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, 2026 Red Bull Ring MotoGP.
Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, 2026 Red Bull Ring MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
14:01
Pedro Acosta scores maiden MotoGP win, Marc Marquez fifth in Austria

Pedro Acosta is finally a MotoGP race winner.

Pedro Acosta scores maiden MotoGP win, Marc Marquez fifth in Austria

Pedro Acosta, KTM Factory Racing, 2026 Austrian MotoGP
Pedro Acosta, KTM Factory Racing, 2026 Austrian MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
13:47
Austrian MotoGP: Race Results

Austrian MotoGP, Red Bull Ring - Race Results

Jorge Martin leads, Start, 2026 Red Bull Ring MotoGP.
Jorge Martin leads, Start, 2026 Red Bull Ring MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
13:45
Acosta wins Austrian GP

It's history for Acosta and KTM, the Spaniard takes his maiden MotoGP win in Austria and KTM's first since Thailand 2022.

Martin holds onto second, Bezzecchi to third.

Ogura fourth, ahead of Marquez, Binder, Aldeguer, Bagnaia, Di Giannantonio, and Zarco who rounds out the top-10.

13:42
Lap 27/28

Acosta over a second clear onto the final lap. Martin hanging onto second and Bezzecchi to third ahead of Ogura.

13:41
Lap 26/28

Bezzecchi getting bottled up behind Martin is putting him into the clutches of Ogura, who is now only 0.5s behind.

13:39

Bezzecchi nearly ran into the back of Martin at turn one, lost a bit of time but he's still in the mix for P2.

13:38
Lap 25/28

Acosta's lead back above 1s as Bezzecchi continues to pressure Martin. No opening yet for the Italian, though.

13:37
Lap 23/28

Bezzecchi within half-a-second of Martin now and Martin into the 1m31s that lap.

13:35
Lap 22/28

Top-four continue closing up, each one faster than the one ahead. Acosta slower than the three Aprilias behind.

13:32
Lap 20/28

Acosta now over a second clear of Martin, who has Bezzecchi still closing in. Ogura a similar pace to Bezzecchi.

13:31

Marquez back up to sixth at turn one on lap 20 as he passes Aldeguer.

13:31
Lap 19/28

Bezzecchi now closer to Martin than Martin is to Acosta. 0.8s between the front two, 0.6s from Martin to Bezzecchi.

13:29
Lap 18/28

Acosta back to a 1m29.7s that time, Martin and Bezzecchi faster behind. Marquez closing back in on Aldeguer.

13:28

1m29.4s from all of the front four on lap 17. Same for Marquez, but he's over 6s off the lead now.

13:27
Lap 16/28

The Aprilias aren't done yet. Only 1.6s covering the top-three with 12 laps to go. Martin remains within a second of Acosta.

13:24

Marquez back up to sixth as he passes Binder at turn three.

13:21

Alex Marquez has gone down at turn two. Fernandez was passing him on the inside and he just lost the front on the outside line.

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