2026 Austrian MotoGP, Red Bull Ring - Sprint Race Results

Jorge Martin wins the Red Bull Ring Sprint race after runaway leader Pedro Acosta crashes from a safe lead with just three laps to go.

Acosta took advantage when fellow front-row starters Martin and Marc Marquez brushed bodywork at the chicane on the opening lap, snatching the lead and breaking away for what looked like a home KTM win.

Meanwhile, Martin carved back through the field from eighth to pass Marquez for second place, retaking the world championship advantage in the process.

That looked to be as far as Martin would advance, until Acosta lost the front into the Turn 2 chicane, leaving the KTM team with their head in their hands. Acosta rejoined but retired.

Acosta's downfall put Martin's team-mate Marco Bezzecchi onto the podium, in third.

• Austria Sprint Race: New 2026 MotoGP World Championship standings

Pole qualifier Martin, who began the race tied with Marquez for the title lead, took the holeshot but ran wide on the exit of Turn 1.

That gave Marquez a chance to pass into Turn 2, with the Ducati rider running Martin wide in the middle of the chicane.

Martin lost all momentum and dropped to eighth, while Acosta took advantage to pass Marquez for the lead at Turn 3.

After the early setback, Martin charged through to catch Marquez for second place by the midway stage.

The Aprilia star made his move into Turn 1 with 7 laps to go, sending Marquez over the kerb on the exit. But there looked to be no catching Acosta, who was 2.8s clear…

All riders chose the medium front compound tyre. However, Pecco Bagnaia (starting 7th), Luca Marini (15th) and Alex Rins (20th) bucked the trend by also fitting a medium rear, rather than the soft.

Diogo Moreira and Raul Fernandez were both given double long laps for jumping the start.

* Rookie

Qualifying:

Jorge Martin denies title rival Marc Marquez of pole position for the 2026 Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring.

Martin, tied on points with Ducati's reigning champion Marquez, put Aprilia on top of the timesheets for the first time this weekend with a 1m 27.912s.

Ducati's Marc Marquez and KTM star Pedro Acosta also broke into the ‘27s, for a front row covered by just 0.071s.

Marco Bezzecchi, Ai Ogura and Alex Marquez, who suffered his second crash of the weekend, will form row two.

Johann Zarco and Pecco Bagnaia reached Q2 by leading Qualifying 1, with exactly the same lap time!

The 14-lap Sprint start at 3pm local time (2pm UK).

* Rookie

Official Red Bull Ring MotoGP Records:

• Best lap: Jorge Martin, Ducati, 1m 27.748s (2024)
• Fastest race lap: Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati, 1m 29.519s (2024)

Saturday Practice:

Marc Marquez moves to the of the timesheets during a damp final practice for the 2026 Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring… then falls.

Wet patches were visible after overnight rain, prompting most of the field to remain in the pits at the start of the half-hour session.

With the sun shining, conditions improved and Marc Marquez went fastest in the final minutes. However, he then lost the front and crashed into Turn 1.

Despite that mistake, the reigning champion, who starts this afternoon’s Sprint tied on points with Jorge Martin, finished the session 0.2s ahead of the Aprilia rider.

Friday leaders Pedro Acosta (KTM) and Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini), plus Marquez's team-mate Pecco Bagnaia completed the top five. Qualifying 1 for those outside the top ten on Friday, including Bagnaia, will now begin.

* Rookie

Official Red Bull Ring MotoGP Records:

• Best lap: Jorge Martin, Ducati, 1m 27.748s (2024)
• Fastest race lap: Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati, 1m 29.519s (2024)

Marc Marquez arrives at the Red Bull Ring on top of the world championship for the first time this season after completing a perfect double at Misano last weekend.

Ducati’s reigning world champion is tied on points with Jorge Martin, but officially ahead courtesy of his five grand prix wins this season to one for Martin.

Martin briefly passed Marquez in the Misano race, only to fade badly with arm pump problems, and could seek surgery if the issue recurs in Austria.

However, team-mate Marco Bezzecchi lost out the most at Misano, crashing from the lead and dropping 33 points from the top.

Martin and Bezzecchi will be seeking Aprilia’s first Red Bull Ring win, at a track dominated by Ducati in the past.

However, the RS-GP outperformed the Desmosedici on the special stiffer rear tyre construction at the start of this season, suggesting they could cause an upset this weekend.

Pedro Acosta, on the podium in Aragon and Misano, could be another contender, during his final Austrian appearance for the home KTM team.

Gresini riders Alex Marquez (Sprint) and Fermin Aldeguer (Grand Prix) also featured on the Red Bull Ring rostrum a year ago.

Tech3 KTM’s Maverick Vinales is missing his fourth event in a row, due to his shoulder injuries, and is again replaced by Pol Espargaro.

Joan Mir is also absent. The HRC rider retired early in last weekend’s Misano race due to extreme fatigue, saying: “I had no energy or power on the bike.”

Subsequent medical checks in Barcelona discovered ‘altered parameters in the blood’ which require further investigation.

Honda test rider Takaaki Nakagami is taking Mir’s place.

A private Pirelli/850cc test, the second of the year to feature race riders, will be held at the track on Monday.