The Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Austria unfolded at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg on 20 September 2026, delivering a weekend of fine margins and dramatic reversals. While the Saturday sprint started at 15:00, the main race kicked off at 14:00 on Sunday, featuring a fierce battle among the sport’s biggest names.
Qualifying: a battle decided by a hundredth of a second
Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) secured pole position with a lap of 1:27.917, leaving Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) a whisker behind – just 0.015 seconds short. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completed the podium, only 0.071 seconds off the front-row pace. The top three were separated by less than a tenth of a second, underlining the razor-thin performance gap at the circuit.
Behind them, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) claimed fourth, while Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) filled the next two spots. Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia managed seventh after a challenging session, and the reigning champion’s teammate, Marc Marquez, settled for second on the grid.
Sprint race: Acosta’s misstep and Martin’s domination
The sprint race a half-distance event held at 15:00, saw Martin convert his pole into a win, extending his championship lead. Acosta, who had looked strong in qualifying, suffered a crash on the final lap, forfeiting a potential sprint victory. The incident promoted Marquez to second place, but the Spanish rider could not challenge Martin’s pace.
Bezzecchi finished on the podium, reinforcing Aprilia’s growing momentum, while Ducati’s Marc Marquez expressed frustration, later blaming the Michelin rear-casing tyre for the lack of grip that hampered his performance throughout the weekend.
Sunday race: Acosta’s redemption and Ducati’s disappointment
Sunday’s Grand Prix turned the tables. Starting from third, Acosta capitalised on his home-track knowledge to lead the early stages. Despite a brief challenge from Martin, the Spaniard could not match Acosta’s rhythm, and the KTM rider surged ahead to claim his first MotoGP race win. The victory gave KTM its first top-class triumph since 2022.
Marc Marquez finished fifth, three points behind new championship leader Jorge Martin, who extended his lead to 12 points over his nearest rival, Francesco Bagnaia, and 42 points ahead of Marco Bezzecchi. Ducati’s weekend was marred by the tyre controversy; Marquez attributed his reduced pace to the stiffer rear tyre casing used at a handful of circuits, including the Red Bull Ring.
Aprilia celebrated a double podium in both the sprint and the race, with Martin retaining the points advantage and Bezzecchi rounding out the top four. The results reshaped the title fight as the season moves into its Asian finale, where the remaining contenders will intensify their efforts.
