Binder salvages ninth as Acosta crashes out of Austria MotoGP Sprint at Red Bull Ring
Red Bull KTM's Pedro Acosta led most of the Austria MotoGP Sprint before crashing out, leaving Brad Binder to take ninth place and the final point at the Red Bull Ring.
- 0.071 seconds
- 7.233 seconds
- 28
- 20:57.387
What Happened
Red Bull KTM's home weekend at the Red Bull Ring began with Pedro Acosta topping Friday morning's time sheets, while Pol Espargaro, making his fourth race appearance of 2026 as stand-in for Maverick Viñales, was second. Brad Binder reached Q2 directly for the third time this season in Friday Practice, a session in which less than half a second covered the top ten. Saturday started wet before the track dried, and Acosta ended qualifying third, just 0.071 seconds from pole, while Binder was 11th for the fourth row. Espargaro missed Q2 by 0.2 of a second and took 14th on the grid, with Enea Bastianini 17th.
0.071seconds
Pedro Acosta qualified third for the Grand Prix of Austria, with Jorge Martin (Aprilia) on pole.
- 3rd on the grid, DNF in the Sprint
- 11th on the grid, 9th in the Sprint, +7.233s
- 17th on the grid, 11th in the Sprint, +11.580s
“To start from the front row at the team's home GP was nice. In the Sprint I was riding in a really good mode, the pace was good and I was just checking the laps on the dash and how it was with the fueling and I f**ked it up. I lost my braking point and that was it. I lost a bit of focus. Thankfully tomorrow we will have another chance. We will have the same approach. I have nothing to lose.”
The Sprint opened with frantic position swapping through the first corners, and Acosta attacked through the 2a and 2b chicane before seizing the lead at Turn 3. He pulled more than two seconds clear of the pack but then ran too hot into the chicane section, crashed, remounted and retired to the pits. Binder, who started 11th, fought into the top eight before settling for ninth, seven seconds behind winner Jorge Martin. Bastianini gained four places to finish 11th and Espargaro was 14th, seven seconds behind in his own race.
“Since Friday its been a positive weekend so far. We're competitive here and the expectations are high. Pedro showed us he was 'the guy' and the reference for others. We cannot be unhappy about the performance and the same for Brad; even if he could not quite keep the same pace until the end of the race and we need to analyze that for tomorrow. Disappointment for Pedro of course but it is important to remember that we have another great chance for Sunday.”
- Brian Uriarte took Moto3 Pole Position, his second of the season and of his career, with Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Alvaro Carpe third fastest for the last place on the front row.
- Uriarte, who won at the Red Bull Ring in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2025, said he did not think he would be quicker on his fast lap and was really happy after the team worked hard.
- Red Bull KTM Tech3's Rico Salmela and Valentin Perrone were 10th and 12th quickest in Moto3, Perrone coming through Q1 on the long route.
- In Moto2, Collin Veijer broke his left collarbone in a Friday crash at Turn 6 and is out for the weekend, while rookie Jose Antonio Rueda qualified ninth, half a second from pole and an improvement of 20 positions over the San Marino GP.
- The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup's last round of seven brought its title fight to Austria: American Kristian Daniel Jnr started from pole and prevailed in the 15-lap race, but was docked one position for exceeding track limits on the last lap, so Fernando Bujose was awarded P1, with the title to be settled on Sunday.
Why this matters
The Red Bull Ring is the Austrian factory's home Grand Prix, so Saturday's mixed result matters to Red Bull KTM and its home crowd. Binder's single point came from a long fight up from 11th on the grid, while Acosta's crash cost a likely podium after leading by more than two seconds. Both riders now turn to Sunday's 28-lap Grand Prix.
Terms in This Story
- Sprint
- A shorter, points-scoring race held on the Saturday of a Grand Prix weekend, separate from the main Sunday race.
- Pole Position
- First place on the starting grid, awarded to the fastest rider in qualifying.
- Q1 / Q2
- The two stages of qualifying: riders in Q1 can progress to Q2, which decides the front of the grid.
- DNF
- Did Not Finish, meaning a rider retired from the race before the end.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.