Pedro Acosta scorched to a strong runner-up status at another sun-kissed round of 2026 MotoGP. The Spaniard starred at a third Grand Prix on home turf this season and was vying for victory on the KTM RC16 at MotorLand Aragon.
Highlights and key moments from race day at MotorLand:
Red Bull KTM lined up for the 23-lap MotoGP Grand Prix at Aragon optimistic of podium potential thanks to Pedro Acosta’s bright run to 4th in the Saturday Sprint. #37 started from P6 on the grid with Brad Binder in 14th, Enea Bastianini in 16th and Pol Espargaro, replacing Red Bull KTM Tech3 racer Maverick Viñales for the second meeting in succession, from 20th.
The 5km diverse, anticlockwise layout combined with the high summer temperatures meant a long and draining Grand Prix distance with tire management again an important component of the race. 115,742 spectators filled the stands.
Acosta swung through Turn 1 and survived some bustling to find his way to P3. He produced a majestic overtaking move on Marco Bezzecchi into Turn 16 to swoop into 2nd with 16 laps to go. Pedro then shadowed Marc Marquez and kept to within a second of his countryman, setting fastest laps and stretching the limit. The gap was 1.7 seconds at the finish. Acosta and Red Bull KTM celebrated his joint-highest result of the season and his first rostrum appearance since the Grand Prix of Hungary.
Brad dove into the top 12 on the first lap but ran off track at Turn 12 and then had to race back from 20th. The South African reached 13th and joined the large group going for the top ten with Enea also in the fray. Bastianini hassled the rear wheel of Diogo Moreira for 8th and got the better of the Brazilian in the final few turns while Brad also gave everything to arrive to P10. Pol’s P16 meant he just missed out on the points.
Acosta is 6th in the championship standings and with a 15-point gap to the top five.
The next event on the 2026 calendar will take place at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for the San Marino Grand Prix from 11-13 of September.
Pedro Acosta, 2nd and 6th in the championship: “We were the surprise today! I think the progression we made from Friday was quite clear. I’m super-happy for that. I thought we had a big possibility in the middle of the race but I think I used the tires a bit too much at that moment to be with Marc. Anyway, we have to be happy because these results make the atmosphere of the team even better.”
Enea Bastianini, 8th and 12th in the championship: “A good race and better than my expectations after yesterday. This morning we tried a different set-up but it was difficult to understand much during warm-up. In the race I was able to push a bit more and lap-by-lap the feeling was coming. I was not as fast as the leader but enough to overtake. Our target was the top ten and I saved it by making 8th so, not too bad.”
Brad Binder, 10th and 13th in the championship: “I made my life difficult today. My rear tire pressure wasn’t up when I braked into Turn 11 so I lost the rear completely and blew the entrance into 12. I then got hung out to dry into the last corner. The next lap around I saw ‘P20’ and I knew I had a big job on my hands! I came back to 10th so I cannot complain too much. A solid enough comeback but…I have some work to do. Learning curves. I feel like we are making progress. If we can make a bit of extra speed then we’ll make a jump closer to the front.”
Pol Espargaro, 16th and 25th in the championship: “I enjoyed it. I decreased the gap to two of my teammates and I feel it is getting better race-by-race. I still miss a lot of speed but it’s my second race and when the tire goes I suffer a lot. I don’t quite know how to react yet when the tire produces these big changes but I feel faster and faster. We’ll see if Maverick is fit for Misano; if not then I know the track there better than here – where I have not raced since 2022 – through the testing, so we’ll hope for more.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We need to be really happy because the summer has presented some challenges for us and this was a type of ‘comeback’. Pedro had an excellent ride fighting at the top and we had three riders in the top ten so we have to be satisfied. Things always need to go step-by-step and when we’ve had challenging times this was good progress for us, and also a sign that we have to trust our project and our resources. This was our best GP for a while. Friday was not too easy…but it shows that Sunday is the most important day and you must never give up. We are looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Results MotoGP Grand Prix of Aragon
1. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati 41:10.969
2. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.754
3. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Aprilia +3.629
8. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +25.741
10. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +26.441
16. Pol Espargaro (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +35.874
World Championship standings MotoGP
1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Aprilia, 256 points
2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 237
3. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Aprilia, 232
6. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 189
12. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 84
13. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 78
22. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 10
25. Pol Espargaro (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 3
KTM GP Academy
All four Red Bull KTM riders were hungry for Moto3 spoils through the 17-lap Grand Prix Sunday morning. The Red Bull KTM Ajo and Red Bull Tech3 quartet started from slots in the top 12 on the grid and Brian Uriarte and Alvaro Carpe were more proactive at the front of the pack. Uriarte had a Long Lap penalty to serve from practice sessions earlier in the weekend. The Spaniard dropped from 3rd to 10th and then tried to catch up as Valentin Perrone and Rico Salmela were also in the leading group that splintered into two.
The decisive dash to the flag through the last two laps saw Carpe on the limit. Alvaro lost the connection for the podium on the final circulation but secured 4th. Uriarte could not breach the gap to the leaders and was a lonely 5th while Perrone confirmed 8th. Salmela crashed out of 7th on lap 17 of 17 but remounted to cross the line in 22nd.
Carpe and Uriarte are in the top four of the world championship standings and are separated by 21 points. Perrone has moved up to P6. KTM are clear leaders in the Constructors Championship.
Moto2 was the second race on the Sunday agenda and lasted for 19 laps of MotorLand. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Collin Veijer and Jose Antonio Rueda thrust up to speed from 6th and 21st on the grid. Veijer marked an impressive rhythm in the opening phase of the contest and moved up to 4th while clocking the fastest lap-time. Nine riders bunched up for the podium as Rueda fought for ground in the top twenty. Collin was 5 laps from a potential podium but then crashed on Turn 4. Jose Antonio took 17th but missed points in Aragon.
Results Moto3 Grand Prix of Aragon
1. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team 33:15.478
2. David Almansa (ESP) KTM +0.264
3. Marco Morelli (ARG) CFMOTO Aspar Team +0.715
4. Alvaro Carpe (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +2.900
5. Brian Uriarte (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +6.040
8. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +11.841
22. Rico Salmela (FIN) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +40.965
World Championship standings Moto3
1. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 256 points
2. Alvaro Carpe (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 159
3. David Almansa (ESP) KTM, 154
4. Brian Uriarte (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 138
5. Marco Morelli (ARG) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 131
6. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 103
10. Rico Salmela (FIN) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 60
Results Moto2 Grand Prix of Aragon
1. Alonso Lopez (ESP) 35:04.377
2. Izan Guevara (ESP) +0.800
3. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Aspar Team +0.881
7. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team +5.912
17. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +21.370
DNF. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo
World Championship standings Moto2
1. Manuel Gonzalez (ESP) 207.5 points
2. Izan Guevara (ESP) 175
3. Senna Agius (AUS) 149
5. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 137
6. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 132
12. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 55.5
18. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 27