Acosta takes defiant fifth at Indonesian MotoGP as KTM seals 2026 Moto3 constructors' title
Pedro Acosta fought to fifth in punishing Mandalika heat as KTM wrapped the 2026 Moto3 constructors' title and Maximo Quiles was crowned champion.
- 5th, 258 points
- 351 points
- 4.3km, 17 corners
- 27 laps
What Happened
The fifth Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika International Circuit brought MotoGP into draining tropical race conditions, with the 4.3km trajectory of 17 fast corners and kinks punishing tire wear as well as rider energy and stamina. Pedro Acosta, Enea Bastianini, Brad Binder and Maverick Viñales started the 27-lap contest from 9th, 14th, 16th and 18th on the grid. Acosta was 10th on the first lap but made sharp passes to invade the tussle for the top five, overtaking world champion Marc Marquez for fourth and battling Fabio Di Giannantonio and Ai Ogura. He had to manipulate his position to protect tire pressure and took fifth place and 11 points at the line.
- Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing): 5th, +9.492s, 11 points
- Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3): 10th, +21.111s
- Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing): 11th, +21.912s
- Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3): 17th, +1:11.596
- Championship standings: Acosta 5th on 258 points, Bastianini 11th on 122, Binder 13th on 104, Viñales 22nd on 12
- KTM holds 3rd of 5 brands in the MotoGP Constructors table
“I was struggling all race with the front tire pressure and I was losing massive time letting Marc past then passing him again, him going past and then struggling to pass again! Ogura caught us and I lost a lot of time with these things and it took away the possibility of being in the top four. Anyway, we made a good race. I think we took the maximum we could. First non-Aprilia and much better than yesterday. Happy.”
“With Pedro in 5th, Enea in the top ten and Brad in 11th after a tough race means we have to be happy. It was challenging as always here in Mandalika and the track temperatures were extreme. Pedro once again managed his race very well despite the tire pressures. Big respect for that. A solid weekend for Brad. We always want the best positions but he did all he could to get near the top ten today.”
In Moto3, Maximo Quiles was crowned champion with five rounds remaining and KTM sealed the 2026 Moto3 Constructors title, with the KTM RC4 platform taking the number one status for the third year in a row and the sixth time in the last seven years. Red Bull KTM Ajo's Brian Uriarte, starting from pole position for the third time in 2026, slipped to ninth in a ragged opening but fought back to win a duel with Matteo Bertelle for third, his third podium from the last four races, and is now 3rd in the world championship standings with teammate Alvaro Carpe 4th. Rico Salmela took 5th for the fifth time in 2026 and Valentin Perrone picked up points in 13th, while Carpe retired after an error trying to take 3rd at Turn 10. In Moto2 a first-corner pile-up forced a restart and cut the race from 22 to 14 laps; Collin Veijer, racing for the first time since breaking his left collarbone in Austria, and Jose Antonio Rueda finished 10th and 11th, Rueda's third top ten result of the season.
- Enea Bastianini (10th, 11th in the championship): said it is always tough starting behind others, that he suffered turbulence in the slipstream from the middle of the race to the end, that he was faster late on and did a good job at the end, but that he was not happy with just the top ten.
- Brad Binder (11th, 13th in the championship): called it way too long and hot a race to finish 11th, said he gave everything and was heavy on the edge of the tire all weekend, that the bike was not bad and he was just missing some speed, and that he is looking forward to Phillip Island, his favourite track.
- Maverick Viñales (17th, 22nd in the championship): said he was already at his limit in the morning and had a good rhythm in the middle of the race, that it was very difficult and he needs to recover, and that he will see how he feels for the plan ahead.
- Brian Uriarte (3rd in Moto3): said it was a really tough race with some saves in the first laps where it was like riding on ice, that he lost confidence completely and had to push back until it was too risky for more, and that it was his first visit to the circuit so he had to learn the hot conditions.
MotoGP pauses for a week after back-to-back Grands Prix in Japan and Indonesia
Grand Prix of Australia at Phillip Island
Grand Prix of Malaysia at Sepang
Qatar Grand Prix
Why this matters
KTM leaves round 17 with its factory and Tech3 riders scoring in MotoGP while its Moto3 project has already clinched the 2026 constructors' crown. The weekend matters for the Austrian manufacturer's racing programme and for its riders' positions in the world championship standings as the season runs toward its final rounds.
Terms in This Story
- Constructors table
- A championship classification that awards points to manufacturers rather than to individual riders.
- Slipstream
- The stream of air pulled along behind a fast-moving bike, which can tow a following rider forward but also creates turbulence.
- Pole position
- The first starting place on the grid, earned by the fastest rider in qualifying.
- DNF
- Did Not Finish, meaning a rider started the race but did not complete it.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.