Pedro Acosta and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing won the first Sprint of the 2026 MotoGP season after an enthralling 13-lap race in Thailand. Two KTM RC16s finished in the points with Brad Binder fighting to P6.
Highlights and key moments from Saturday at the Buriram United International Circuit:
For the second year in succession, the 4.5km Chang International Circuit in Buriram brought a new season of MotoGP up to speed. After a hot, cloudy and windy day of Friday practice, the first qualification and race Sprint on Saturday was run in yet more stuffy and overcast tropical conditions.
Pedro Acosta flew to his first career MotoGP Sprint win. The Spaniard started from 6th and the second row of the grid. He then fought for top billing against countryman Marc Marquez. Acosta moved into 1st place three times before a lunge by Marquez into Turn 12 on the penultimate lap then forced the Red Bull KTM man off track. Acosta was able to regain ground on the final circulation and re-inherited P1 when Marquez was obliged to drop one position by FIM Race Stewards. The result stamped Acosta’s eleventh Sprint podium and the fifth in a row, stretching back to round 19 of 2025.
Brad Binder was fast through Practice on Friday to start the year with a positive direct entry to Q2 for Saturday. The South African then took his KTM RC16 to the 11th best lap for the same slot on the grid and an improvement of three places compared to his effort in 2025. Brad battled on the fringe of the top five in the Sprint. His ranking of P6 by the line bettered his P8 from the previous year.
17th in the Sprint for Enea Bastianini. The Italian started from P20 and tried to work on optimization of his race set-up while Maverick Viñales had a harder time understanding the potential of the harder spec tire carcass to handle the searing temperatures. He was 19th.
MotoGP will wind-up for 26-laps tomorrow at 09.00 CET.
Pedro Acosta, 6th in qualification, 1st in the Sprint: “Super-happy to start the season like this and for the progress we have made. I was still struggling a bit in the first and second sectors but I was comfortable with the package I had. KTM is working so hard to give me the best bike both now and for the rest of the year. I was happy about the race and being able to battle Marc. I would have done the same overtake! It’s what makes MotoGP exciting and such a nice show for the fans. Let’s see what we can do for the race tomorrow.”
Brad Binder, 11th in qualification, 6th in the Sprint: “A pretty good start and I passed a few guys early on. I felt I had momentum but when the tire pressure comes up then it gets harder to stop, and harder to keep consistent. I had to stay calm and manage the front. The bike felt really good compared to our reference from last year and we’ve done great work so far. We had an issue on my second flying lap in Q2 and I had to use the second bike. It was a bit unfortunate…but I did an even faster time, which shows there is still a bit of extra speed in the pocket. We’ll see if we can get dragged along tomorrow and go a bit quicker.”
Enea Bastianini, 20th in qualification, 17th in the Sprint: “I couldn’t push today and there were more problems when I was in the slipstream. We have to stay calm and understand the problem. It is only the first race and we have to work through it. I hope to see a different day tomorrow with the temperatures. I know Maverick had trouble but then Pedro was winning the race! Congratulations to him, he did a very good job. We will try again.”
Maverick Viñales, 17th in qualification, 19th in the Sprint: “A bad day and I am struggling to explain it. It’s complicated but I am lacking speed and was running wide. We need to check and understand why, and hope for better tomorrow.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “A great feeling to start a new season after a hard winter of work as well as preparation in the last weeks and, of course, we’re really happy with the win. This target is always there, even if it was something that maybe we didn’t expect at this track. To have two riders in the top six is a great result for us. We know Pedro’s potential but during this winter I’ve seen a change in him: another step of maturity and he is working so constantly all the time at a high level. Also, really happy for Brad. We made some changes to his working structure and methods at the end of last year and now we start to see the results of this. He’s been very solid and we were targeting that top six. Maverick and Enea have not had the easiest day…but we trust that the boys are coming and the potential is really big there also.”
Results Qualifying MotoGP Grand Prix of Thailand
1. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Aprilia 1:28.652
2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.035
3. Raul Fernandez (ESP) Aprilia +0.224
6. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.409
11. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.750
17. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:29.774 (Q1)
20. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:30.078 (Q1)
Results MotoGP Sprint Grand Prix of Thailand
1. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 19:39.155
2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.108
3. Raul Fernandez (ESP) Aprilia +0.540
6. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +4.612
17. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +15.452
19. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +21.445
KTM GP Academy
The Moto3 force of Red Bull KTM Ajo (Alvaro Carpe and Brian Uriarte) and Red Bull KTM Tech3 (Valentin Perrone and Rico Salmela) pushed their KTM RC4s into motion for a fresh dose of intense Grand Prix action in 2026. Carpe and Perrone were able to bring a full campaign of experience into their second crack at Moto3 while 2025 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Champ Uriarte and Salmela entered their debut Grand Prix terms.
The whole group made it through to Q2 in Thailand and Carpe was the standout youngster as he hustled to the 2nd fastest lap and the center of the front row. Uriarte headed Salmela and Perrone as the trio occupied P12, P13 and P14 respectively and will confront the 19-lap GP from the fourth and fifth rows.
In Moto2™ Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Collin Veijer started his second season in the category with the world championship winning team. The crew welcomed current Moto3 #1 Jose Antonio Rueda into the set-up as a rookie for 2026. Veijer built on a positive pre-season of preparation and firm top ten speed in Buriram to secure 6th position on the grid after the dash through Q2; locking-in the final space on the second row as the top 15 riders were split by just 0.6 of a second. Rueda improved his feeling and confidence through the Free Practice sessions, Practice and then Q1 for P24 ahead of his first Moto2 outing on Sunday. The race will last for 22 laps.
Results Qualifying Moto3 Grand Prix of Thailand
1. David Almansa (ESP), Honda 1:40.088
2. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.430
3. Adrian Fernandez (ESP), Honda +0.605
4. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team +0.609
11. Marco Morelli (ARG) CFMOTO Aspar Team +1.275
12. Brian Uriarte (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.338
13. Rico Salmela (FIN), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.606
14. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.664
Results Qualifying Moto2 Grand Prix of Thailand
1. Senna Agius (AUS) 1:34.576
2. Izan Guevara (ESP) +0.028
3. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team +0.049
6. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.212
10. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team +0.284
24. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:35.453 (Q1)