MotoGP Preview: Austrian Grand Prix
MotoGP heads to the iconic Red Bull Ring this weekend, with yet another exciting weekend in store for the fans to behold.
Last time in Misano, Marc Márquez claimed the championship lead, drawing level with Jorge Martín on points. Marco Bezzecchi is still third as he failed to cross the finish line in the San Marino Grand Prix, but the Italian is only 33 points behind the leading duo.
Will the reigning world champion extend his lead or will one of the Aprilia riders return at the top? Here is everything you need to know about MotoGP’s Sunday visit to Spielberg:
This week’s track: Red Bull Ring
First opened in 1969 as the Österreichring, the track received its current name in 2011 and now features the 18 metre-high “Bull of Spielberg”, one of the most recognisable landmarks at any racing track.
MotoGP first went racing here from 1996 to 1997, and the track made its final return to the permanent calendar in 2016, hosting annual races ever since. Its classic layout features 10 turns along a length of 4.318 km (2.683 miles) and plenty of opportunities for overtaking.
One of the main spots where to expect some action is the Münzer Chicane, added to the track layout in 2022. This aggressive change of direction right in front of the main grandstands leads into Turn 3, the hardest braking point on the track and another key area to watch.
But perhaps the most important thing to keep an eye on this weekend is the weather forecast. Spielberg is known for its unpredictable conditions that may add another challenge for the riders this Sunday.
Past results at the Red Bull Ring
Last year, the Red Bull Ring hosted MotoGP’s 1000th race, being the scene of many memorable moments in the process.
Marc completed another career achievement, managing to win in Austria for the first time in his career and celebrating his sixth consecutive win of the season. The reigning world champion dominated in both races that weekend despite struggling in qualifying to only start fourth on the grid.
Although Bezzecchi qualified on pole, he finished the sprint just outside the podium and clung on to third after being overtaken by Fermín Aldeguer in the feature race.
Aldeguer managed one of his best performances of the year at the Red Bull Ring, claiming the second podium of his debut season. He even attempted to close the gap to Marc towards the end of the race to claim his first premier-class victory, but he ultimately had to settle for second.
The 2025 rookie will surely hope to impress once again considering the momentum he carries on from the San Marino Grand Prix.
Martín will hope to turn his bad luck from last year’s race around if he wants to stay close to Marc in the standings. In 2025, the Aprilia rider crashed out of the Grand Prix on Lap 15.
Francesco Bagnaia is always a rider to watch at this track, even if his performance from last season was quite underwhelming. The Italian completely dominated the Red Bull Ring for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024, being at the top of qualifying, sprint races and feature races.
Other notable moments from this track’s history feature Brad Binder’s dramatic win on slick tyres in wet conditions from 2021 and Andrea Dovizioso’s last-corner move to outsmart Marc in 2019.
Key talking points
Marc was the undeniable winner last week, asserting himself in both the sprint and the feature race. Although after qualifying Bezzecchi seemed to be able to challenge the Spaniard, a weaker start in the sprint and an unfortunate crash in the race meant that the Italian leaves the San Marino Grand Prix 33 points off the new championship leader.
The San Marino Grand Prix saw multiple crashes, with only 14 riders seeing the chequered flag. One of them was Bagnaia, who has experienced an incident-riddled run in four of the last five Grands Prix. With his teammate at the top of the standings, will Bagnaia be able to turn his luck around before heading to Aprilia in 2027?
Martín was able to challenge Marc during the feature race but dropped places dramatically towards the last laps. The 2024 world champion admitted to struggling with arm pump issues, meaning that he was unable to defend his championship lead.
He stated: “I had a big issue with my arm pump. It's a pity, I think we lost a big opportunity today. I was feeling really good.
I was feeling good, not pushing like crazy and still pulling away. But then I started to have issues with braking, then opening the throttle, and every lap it got worse and worse.”
Pedro Acosta had one of his best weekends of the season, returning to the podium after recovering from seventh. Although he admitted to struggling during the weekend, he believes the team is going in the right direction.
He stated: “But anyway, I think the brand is working super hard. The guys are now super open to listening to new ideas and changing the bike around.” For KTM’s home race, could we see one of their riders at the top of the podium on Sunday?
The Gresini duo also had a surprisingly great weekend, with Álex Márquez finishing on the podium and Aldeguer qualifying in third, before challenging Acosta for a podium position in the race.
After he was unable to compete in the last two races, Ai Ogura finally returns to the track at the Austrian Grand Prix. The Japanese rider is currently sixth in the standings after having just been overtaken by Acosta.
Pol Espargaró will continue to replace Maverick Viñales, while Takaaki Nakagami joins the grid this weekend to replace Joan Mir.
The fight for the title continues, so do not miss any of the exciting racing awaiting at the Red Bull Ring. Tune in this Sunday, September 20, 2026, from 14:00 local time (13:00 BST)!
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