MotoGP Race
If you ever needed proof Acosta
was up for the win on Sunday,
you only needed to watch him
aggressively bumping fists with
his team. His scowl looked like a
UFC fighter with a serious point
to prove, but it didn't initially go
his way as he dropped from third
to fifth on the opening lap after a
less-than-satisfactory start.
Acosta, who had scored 15
MotoGP podiums without a win,
lead. Martin held his nerve to
take the 12 points and extend
his championship advantage.
Marc Marquez finished
second, while Bezzecchi was
third. Ogura continued his return
from injury with fourth, ahead
of Alex Marquez and Bagnaia.
Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda
LCR) was seventh, with Fermin
Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing
MotoGP) and Binder completing
the points.
VOLUME 63 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 P95
more than the other weekends,
but we were there. But the prob-
lem is that in the first part of the
race, I had many, many problems
with the front brake. For that
reason, I went wide in turn one.
Dorna [for the new 850cc era];
it's very clear we will not sell the
team, we will not sell a little part
of the team, we're fully commit-
ted. The MotoGP title is one of
the few titles we have not yet
won, and we're clear here to win
and to race, and not for an equity
increase."
SCHEDULE CHANGES
BEING DISCUSSED
A revision to MotoGP's current
schedule is being discussed, with
Motorsport.com revealing there
could be two qualifying ses-
sions to determine the Sprint grid
as well as for the Sunday race
from 2027. Some riders weren't
against using a different system
to determine the two grids. But
Pecco Bagnaia hoped it wouldn't
add extra time on track. "I just
hope that they will not increase
any session, because Saturday
is already a tough day for us," he
said. "We need a balance on that.
For me the best could be the lap
time of the Sprint race could be
the grid of the Sunday race. Like
they do in Supersport. Having the
same qualifying for the two races
is a problem. Like in Misano, I
was starting in 18th in both races,
I was very behind. So it was a
problem. And sometimes you can
crash in qualifying, and having a
second chance with lap times of
the Sprint would be good."
Briefly...
battled past Marquez, Ogura,
Bezzecchi and eventually World
Championship leader Martin on
lap nine, out-accelerating the
Aprilia down into turn 2a. Behind
them, Marc Marquez endured
an uncharacteristically difficult
race, running wide at turn one
and dropping as far as seventh
before recovering to fifth at
the finish, the nine-time World
Champion complaining of incon-
sistent front brakes throughout.
"The speed was there," Mar-
quez said. "We were struggling
Acosta crosses the line after
nearly three years of trying to
win a MotoGP race.
