McMartin Racing Ducati teammates Josh Waters and Harrison Voight dominated round two of the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli (ASBK) under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) on Saturday, March 28.
Polesitter Waters won the opening SW-Motech Superbike race – his fourth in a row at SMSP dating back to 2024 – before Voight executed brilliantly in the second to maintain his healthy lead in the 2026 championship after two of five rounds.
The two-day event at SMSP saw precipitation on Friday make way for sublime weather on Saturday and the bulk of the race program, with other winners including a blistering clean sweep by Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) in Kawasaki Supersport and more teammate heroics – this time from BCperformance Kawasaki duo Tom Edwards and Hayden Nelson in Supersport Next Gen.
Meanwhile, New Zealander Tyler King (Kawasaki) extended his lead in the Race and Road Supersport 300 class despite a stunning double from Orlando Peovitis (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki), and Oscar Lewis edged out his younger brother Connor in the BLU CRU R3 Cup opener.
All the pre-round talk about the SW-Motech ‘changing of the guard’ was just a minor distraction for the veteran Waters, who powered to a 20th pole position and then victory in race one – his ninth at SMSP and the 45th in a storied career at the top level in Australia.
Voight led early before Waters took over the running, while hard-charging pair Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati, second) and SMSP lap record holder Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha Racing Team, third) also slid their way into podium positions during the 13-lapper.
Voight was fourth from Jacob Roulstone (Motocity Honda), Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati), Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and Marcus Hamod (Motocity Honda), while Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) recovered to finish ninth after an off-track excursion on lap one. Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) also ran off before crashing moments later.
There was an air of inevitability who would be the fastest on track for race two, and that’s what transpired as Voight was a clear winner from Waters and Halliday – while Nahlous was also in the mix before he crashed out of second place on lap four while trying to break Voight’s resolve.
The battle for fourth was a cracker, with Roulstone coming up trumps from Anthony West (DesmoSport Ducati), Dunker, Allerton and Jones. Hamod and Favelle completed the top 10.
Voight’s race two rebound saw him extend his championship lead to 14pts (110 to 96) over new second place man, Waters, with Roulstone (95pts) in third from Halliday (73pts), West (72pts), Dunker (71pts) and Allerton (71pts).
Harrison Voight (29) scored the holeshot in Superbike race two. Photo courtesy ASBK.
Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen:
Two championships under one umbrella, and with similar levels of performance to produce scintillating racing.
That was the playbook in the second half of 2025 and the 2026 season opener at Phillip Island for Supersport and Supersport Next Gen, but at SMSP no-one told Farnsworth who produced two clinical victories.
And in one memorable evening, the Sydneysider doubled his previous win tally in Kawasaki Supersport from two to four.
Farnsworth (1-1) was the overall Supersport winner at SMSP, taking over the championship lead from Valentino Knezovic (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 2-2). Thai visitor Anupab Sarmoon (MotoGo Racing Yamaha, 3-3) was third, while in Supersport Next Gen it was Nelson (1-2) from Edwards (3-1) and Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati, 2-3). Simpson remains the Next Gen leader, but it’s been trimmed by Edwards to just 4pts.
In the over-arching battle, Farnsworth was first home in the opening 11-lapper from Nelson, Simpson, Edwards, Knezovic and Sarmoon, and in the second Farnsworth completed his whitewash from Edwards, Nelson, Knezovic, Simpson and Sarmoon.
Meanwhile, it was misfortune for two other Next Gen riders in Sydney, with Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati) eliminated with a blown engine and debutante Jacob Hatch (Triumph) not even getting through qualifying after being caught out as collateral damage in a Scott Nicholson (TeamBWR Yamaha) crash.
Hayden Nelson (279), Olly Simpson (45) and Valentino Knezovic (48). Photo courtesy ASBK.
Race and Road Supersport 300 and BLU CRU R3 Cup
Peovitis marched through the two Race and Road Supersport 300 races with a level of authority rarely seen in the class, with his winning margins five and six seconds respectively.
While Peovitis’ domination was atypical, behind the West Aussie it was more of the same close-quarters intensity we’ve come to expect, with King second in both races and the third places shared by Phoenix O’Brien (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) and Lincoln Knight (Yamaha).
That was where the program ended, with race three abandoned after Knight crashed at turn two and required medical intervention.
King leads the championship on 95pts from the charging Peovitis (85pts) and Jordy Simpson (Yamaha, 82pts).
In the BLU CRU R3 Cup, Oscar Lewis (1-2-4), Connor Lewis (2-1-6) and defending champion Simpson (6-3-2) were the top brass in Sydney, while Matthew Ritter scored two third places.
The 2026 ASBK Championship will now head to The Bend for round three on May 1-3.
The R3 Cup race two podium: (L to R) Oscar Lewis, Connor Lewis and Jordy Simpson. Photo courtesy ASBK.
For more information on the Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli:
Aprilia Racing makes history in the USA with another one-two.
The weekend on the Circuit of the Americas comes to a close with a historic result for Aprilia Racing, taking their second consecutive one-two.
Marco Bezzecchi, starting from the fourth spot on the grid due to a penalty from Q2, was the protagonist of an extraordinary race. After contact during the first lap which damaged the rear wing of his RS-GP26, the Italian rider moved into the lead at the end of the first lap, maintaining the position all the way to the chequered flag. With this result, he takes his fifth win in a row, becoming the third rider of the modern era to manage the feat after Valentino Rossi and Marc Márquez.
For Bezzecchi this is also his sixth victory in the top class with Aprilia Racing, in addition to being the first rider to win the first three Grand Prix races of a season – an achievement that had not been accomplished since 2014. The Italian rider is now the first in the modern MotoGP era to win five consecutive GP races, remaining in the lead from the first to the last lap. In fact, Bezzecchi rode the last five GP races entirely in the lead and, with today’s result, now has a total of 121 laps in the lead, surpassing the previous record held by Jorge Lorenzo (103).
Completing the one-two was Jorge Martín, who rode a solid race to finish second. This is the Spanish rider’s second consecutive podium in a long race with Aprilia Racing and his second podium finish of the weekend, after winning the sprint race on Saturday.
This is Aprilia Racing’s eleventh victory in the top class – their second in Austin after Maverick Viñales’ win in 2024 – and their fifth consecutive. The manufacturer from Noale has now also taken their third one-two in the top class and, for the first time in their history, two one-two finishes in a row. With today’s victory, Aprilia Racing now has 305 wins in World Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing.
Marco Bezzecchi (72). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Marco Bezzecchi: “Saturday I made a mistake that I should have avoided, but the team was very close to me. Today it was important to ride a good race. I’m extremely happy and thrilled. I have been dreaming about doing well on this track that I’ve always liked for a long time, but I had never managed to finish the way I wanted to until now. Riding such a great race was incredible.”
Jorge Martin (89). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Jorge Martin: “I am truly happy and extremely grateful to Aprilia. I gave my all and that makes me very proud. Saturday, I achieved the goal of winning the sprint race and I gave it my all on Sunday as well. Marco was incredible: I tried to make up ground behind him, but I was pushing too hard physically and I had to slow down in the last three laps. I have always struggled on this track, so to be on the podium here after my absence last year is fantastic.”
Massimo Rivola – CEO Aprilia Racing: “It was a memorable Sunday for Aprilia Racing, with two truly outstanding riders and an extremely competitive bike. I am very pleased with the demonstration of the synergy between the work carried out in Noale and on track. Clearly, all of this does not reduce our drive — on the contrary, it gives us even more motivation to continue developing the bike. What happened today is something historic, destined to go down in the record books. However, we still need to keep improving, because what happened to Ai Ogura is difficult to accept. I’m very sorry for him, for Justin Marks and Davide Brivio of the Trackhouse MotoGP Team. Today there was the chance to see three Aprilias on the podium and, when these opportunities arise, you have to take them.”
More from a press release issued by VR46 Team:
Di Giannantonio ends the United States GP in fourth place.The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, on track with a special livery, was very close to the podium on Sunday in Austin with Di Giannantonio, who finished the race in fourth place. Morbidelli ended in fourteenth position.
The United States GP concluded with a fourth-place finish for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, which went on track on Sunday in Austin with a special livery designed by Aldo Drudi. Fabio Di Giannantonio fought for the podium, finishing fourth and as the top Ducati rider. Franco Morbidelli placed fourteenth after a comeback race.
Di Giannantonio made the most of his pole position start (secured by breaking the lap time record), immediately joining the battle for the podium. Fabio showed an excellent pace, managing to stay with the leading group and defend his position with great determination. The rider frome Rome crossed the finish line in fourth place, confirming himself once again in Austin as the best Ducati rider at the finish. Di Giannantonio is fourth in the World Standing with 50 points.
A challenging race for Morbidelli, who started from twentieth position. After a difficult start, Franco showed great determination on a very demanding track, gaining positions. Consistently improving lap after lap, the Italian-Brazilian rider crossed the finish line in fourteenth place. With today’s result, he is thirteenth in the World Standing with 14 points.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will return to the track in three weeks following the extended break caused by the postponement of the Qatar GP. MotoGP returns to Europe for the Spanish GP, which will take place from 24th to 26th April at the Circuito de Jerez.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Fabio Di Giannantonio:“Overall, it was a positive weekend, I’m very happy. We arrived here in Austin and I wasn’t at 100% of my physical condition, so I have to thank Christian, the physiotherapist, and the whole team for the work they did to help me recover with my shoulder. We’ll need to undergo some tests to understand what’s going on, because I struggled a bit physically. Aside from that, we’re in great shape, we’re putting pressure on the front riders even though there’s still a gap at the moment. We need to work both with the team and Ducati to close that gap. We know where we need to improve and we’re already doing it. We’re still missing something in the race. It’s not the result we wanted, because when you’re competing at a high level you always aim for the podium, but today I gave my best and fourth was the maximum we could achieve. There are still many positives to take home: I got pole position and set many fast laps. I’m really happy.”
Franco Morbidelli (21) and Diogo Moreira (11) at COTA. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Franco Morbidelli: “It was a tough weekend. We struggled every day, although less and less each day. Today in the race we managed to score two points: it’s not what we want, but it was important to finish the race to gather information and data. The feeling with the bike wasn’t great this weekend, we didn’t have rear grip. But, we started from further back and improved more and more as the days went on. That’s a positive aspect. Now we have a few weeks off, we’ll keep training and working with the team to do better and return to our best.”
Pablo Nieto – Team Manager:“Overall, Austin was a good weekend for Diggia and we should be happy. We were missing something, because we were fighting for the win with him, and it’s a pity we didn’t make it on the podium. But he took pole position and achieving this kind of result is really great, I believe we’re working very well. Right now, our rivals have made a significant step forward, but we’re very close. Franco struggled a lot during this weekend in the United States, but he improved greatly during the race. If he continues like this, we’ll see him back in the top positions.”
More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team bounce back to fifth in the Grand Prix of the United States. Francesco Bagnaia tenth.
The Ducati Lenovo Team tackled the final day of the Grand Prix of the United States at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas. Marc Márquez finished the race in fifth position, while Francesco Bagnaia was tenth at the flag.
Márquez got a great start from sixth place on the grid, moving up two positions. After dropping down to seventh, he then served his long-lap penalty and rejoined in eleventh. Marc then made his way back to fifth place, which he defended up to the finish line. Bagnaia stayed in touch with the group battling for the podium while maintaining a good pace, before starting to lose ground in the second half of the encounter. In the final stages, Pecco struggled with grip and eventually finished tenth.
As the third Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is fifth in the standings with 45 points. Francesco Bagnaia is ninth, 20 points behind his teammate. The Ducati Lenovo Team is fourth in the teams’ classification (70 points), while Ducati is second in the constructors’ championship (69 points).
The Ducati Lenovo Team will make its European debut of the season on April 24th, for the opening day of practice for the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto.
Marc Marquez (93) at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 5th: “Unfortunately we paid the price for yesterday’s mistake. A long-lap penalty in MotoGP, especially early on in the race, drops you down into the middle of the field. I wasn’t feeling comfortable in the first laps and I was close to making the same mistake again, but then as the grip faded I started to ride well and have fun, battling with several riders. We must keep in mind that this was only the third Grand Prix of a very long season, but we also have to admit that Bezzecchi, right now, is really fast. We have to keep inching closer to the front and focus on the small details, as we’re not missing much and I know I can do better than this.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63) at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 10th: “Already from the warm up, I didn’t have the same feeling, as I was struggling to carry the same speed into the corners as in previous days. I wasn’t fully comfortable at the start of the race: there was less rear grip, but I tried to manage it. I saw that Diggia was trying to bridge the gap to the leaders and I tried to stay with him, but then the grip got clearly worse. With four laps to go, I tried to push a bit harder in order to defend myself from Marc (Márquez) and Enea (Bastianini), but the final two laps were a nightmare: I had a near crash every time I leaned into the right-hand corners. Unfortunately, we can’t make the bike stop and turn the way we’d like, so we need to continue working in these areas.”
More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:
Bastianini charges through the pack to finish sixth at COTA.
The third round of the 2026 MotoGP™ World Championship has concluded in the United States, with the Circuit of the Americas delivering another action-packed weekend.
Under the hot Texan conditions, Enea Bastianini lined up 12th on the grid, determined to build on the positives from Saturday’s Sprint, where he claimed P3, and convert them into a strong Sunday result.
A solid launch allowed ‘La Bestia’ to gain positions in the opening laps, and the Italian soon found his way into 10th. Showing patience and control, Bastianini kept the riders ahead close while managing his tyres around the demanding COTA layout.
The race continued to unfold in Bastianini’s favour as a crash for Joan Mir promoted him to P8. Maintaining his strong pace, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider continued his attack and soon advanced into 7th after passing Álex Márquez.
In the closing stages, the #23 rider entered a nail-biting three-way battle for P5. Continuing to push until the chequered flag, Bastianini ultimately crossed the line in 6th, just behind Marc Márquez after a determined late-race charge.
The result marks a significant step forward for Bastianini and his second best weekend with the Tech3 team to date, highlighting improved race pace and growing confidence with the KTM RC16.
Enea Bastianini (23) at COTA. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “I am very happy with this result because it was not an easy race. At the start, I lost the rear in Turn 3 and then, after some contact, the airbag deployed, which made things difficult for a while. After that, I tried to find my pace lap by lap and close the gap to the riders in front.
“At the end, I caught Marc, and it was a hard fight because he was pushing a lot in the final laps. I tried to get closer out of Turn 11 to have a chance into Turn 12, but we were missing a bit of acceleration. Still, we were competitive under braking and that is a positive.
“We can be satisfied with this weekend. I made a mistake in Qualifying, which made the race more difficult, but it is good to be back fighting close to the front again. Now we must keep working and continue like this in Europe.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “We are very happy with our weekend in Austin. The team leaves with smiles on our faces, which is a real relief after two complicated races.
“I would like to congratulate Enea on the job he has done all weekend. It was great to see him enjoying the bike, building confidence, and delivering a strong race. He improved his pace and worked his way into the fight with Pecco [Bagnaia] and Marc Márquez, which was great to watch.
“P3 in the Sprint and P6 in the main race are positive results for us as we leave Austin. We now have a break, which will give Maverick time to recover from his shoulder surgery, and we hope to be back in great shape in Jerez.”
More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Team:
BK8 Gresini Racing Team scores points at the Americas GP.
RACEDAY
ALEX MARQUEZ 7th
FERMIN ALDEGUER 11th
Alex Marquez (73) and Enea Bastianini (23) at COTA. Photo courtesy BK8 Gresini Team.
Alex Marquez: “Today I made a few overtakes, so I’m a bit more satisfied compared to yesterday. It was the result I expected today; we didn’t have the pace to be among the best, and starting from the third row I couldn’t ask for more. We still scored points and brought home the best result possible. Right now we need to keep working and continue improving to reach the level of the front runners. With the factory bike it always takes a bit more time to get everything perfectly set up.”
Fermin Aldeguer (54) at COTA. Photo courtesy BK8 Gresini Team.
Fermin Aldeguer: “It was a complicated weekend and physically tough. In the sprint I already felt the lack of pace on a MotoGP bike, but we scored points and managed to race and finish all the races without crashing. Today was tough, a very long race, but we have to be satisfied. Last year, after three races, we didn’t have this many points.”
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Points keep coming for Marini in America.
Luca Marini produced a metronomic performance, attacking until the end for a last-minute ninth place at the Circuit of the Americas. Meanwhile teammate Joan Mir fell while chasing the top five at Round Three.
Another unpredictable Sunday was waiting for the MotoGP World Championship as the riders rolled onto the grid, the sun shinning but a wind whipping up around them. All eyes were on the critical first corner as lights went out.
Starting in 11th place, Luca Marini had extra work to do and found himself sandwiched between a KTM and a Gresini machine into the tight first corner of COTA after struggling off the line compared to Saturday. From here the race was a series of intense battles and passes until the #10 arrived on the edge of the top ten, settling in behind Raul Fernandez as the pace of the grid leveled out.
Seeing a fast-fading Bagnaia just ahead of him, Marini kept his rhythm until the very end to steal ninth place from the double MotoGP World Champion. A pair of point scoring finishes at the US GP moves Marini to tenth in the World Championship standings, five points behind 2025 MotoGP runner-up Alex Marquez. He leads Johann Zarco by ten points in the fight for top Honda.
Joan Mir’s Sunday followed a similar script to Saturday, the #36 starting well and locking horns with almost every Ducati on the grid. A well-saved moment early in the race sent him wide through the opening sector and earned him a Long Lap Penalty as a result. He would crash from the top ten before serving the penalty, fortunately avoiding any injury. With three points, Mir holds 19th in the World Championship standings.
After three races away from home, the Honda HRC Castrol team will now return to Europe and prepare for the Spanish GP, April 24 – 26 in Jerez. Three weeks of rest, recovery and development to arrive in the best position possible to continue the fight.
Luca Marini (10) at COTA. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Luca Marini:“Today was pretty straight forward, everything came from the start. I was already minus two positions, and I made a really bad start, which is very strange because the starts have been one of our strongest points on the Honda. It’s something we need to check because I lost some positions. The positive is I had some really nice battles further back as it was quite a chaotic race in the opening laps – it was fun, but when I arrived to Fernandez, the pace of everyone was very close. Today the wind changed direction, so it changed our braking points, I focused on hitting my marks and in the last lap I saw Bagnaia was not having an easy time. This race shows that the level of everyone has improved a lot and we still have work to do to break into that top eight.”
Joan Mir (36) at COTA. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Joan Mir:“A disappointing way to finish a weekend that had a lot of promise. I was in a position yesterday and today to attack, recover a lot on entry and see what was possible. When I am alone I can ride well and fast, in the slipstream with these bikes you have to risk twice as much to make up time. Finally the front went, we need to improve the rear to gain something more on corner exit because this can happen when you are riding the front so hard. I like knowing I have a chance, this is good and we have improved a lot compared to when I first started with Honda and I know that we can keep working together to improve more and more.”
More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira delivered a solid performance on Sunday at COTA, finishing 13th.
Starting from 14th on the grid, Moreira made an excellent start and quickly moved into contention for the top 10.
Tyre management and the track’s unique layout played a significant role, making the 20-lap race especially demanding.
In the closing stages, continuing to push while gaining experience, Moreira crossed the line in 13th position, securing points for the third consecutive time in just his third MotoGP race.
Diogo Moreira (11) at COTA. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Diogo Moreira 13th:“After not being able to understand my feeling in the Sprint due to the early retirement, today’s race was demanding, but I managed to finish, fight, and score points again. The past two weeks have been both enjoyable and challenging at times, but we are doing a good job and continuously improving. Thanks to everyone!”
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Another Challenging Race in Austin for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP with a Silver Lining. Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP endured another demanding race at COTA, but both riders showed resilience, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu scoring his first MotoGP point.
It was another tough race for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP at the Circuit of the Americas, as Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jack Miller — starting from 17th and 19th positions respectively — spent the race battling within a close group that included the other Yamaha riders.
Despite running toward the back of the field, both riders remained competitive within their group and, importantly, were able to complete the full race distance. This represents a small but meaningful step forward for both the riders and the development of the Yamaha YZR-M1.
The main positive of the day came from Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, who scored the first point of his MotoGP career. While the Turkish rider is clearly aiming for much stronger results, the achievement offers a degree of encouragement after a challenging start to the season and reflects an improving feeling with the bike.
Jack Miller also battled throughout the race and, in the closing laps, was able to make a move to gain another position, eventually crossing the finish line just behind his teammate.
Although the overall result does not yet match the team‘s ambitions, the race provided further valuable data and confirmed incremental progress as the development work continues.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (07) at COTA. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu:“Today was a very tough race for everyone, but I was pushing more than 100% because I really wanted to score my first point. In the end, I achieved it, and I‘m very happy.Another positive is that I‘m starting to enjoy riding the bike more during the race, and I‘m learning a lot. I followed Fabio for several laps and was able to understand more about his riding style and the track, which is very important for me at this stage. Race by race, weekend by weekend, we are improving, and that makes me happy. Of course, this is just the beginning — now the goal is to keep learning and start fighting for better results.We now have a few weeks before the next race, so I will continue training and come back ready to keep working, starting from Spain.”
Jack Miller (43) at COTA. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Jack Miller:“Overall, we made some steps forward over the weekend, and I‘m quite happy with the general set-up of the bike. There are still some areas, especially in the DNA of the bike, that we need to keep working on and refining, but for now we‘re doing the best we can with what we have. The important thing is that we‘re starting to understand the bike better and build a clearer direction for the future. We know there‘s still work to do, but we‘re staying focused and continuing to push the project forward. Now I‘m looking forward to getting back to Europe — having races closer together should help us keep the momentum, bring some updates, and continue developing in the right direction.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Manager:“Overall, it was a positive day. Of course, our ambitions are higher than this, but we all needed a bit of a morale boost and we‘re very happy for Toprak to have scored the first of what we hope will be many MotoGP points in his career. Jack also delivered a solid performance, and from the halfway point of the race both riders showed they had the pace to stay close to the top ten. That‘s an important indication for us.This is our starting point, and it‘s from here that we need to continue building. We know it won‘t be easy, but we‘ve already reduced the gap significantly compared to the first races. Now we have to keep our heads down, continue working, and bring the team and our riders closer to where they belong.”
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Tough Day At The Office for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP on Texas Race Day.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins struggled to make progress in the 20-lap Grand Prix of the United States Race. They finished in P17 and P18 respectively.
The Grand Prix of the United States Race didn’t play out as the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team had hoped. Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins took the chequered flag in 17th and 18th place respectively.
Quartararo launched from P16 and held this position for the majority of the 20-lap contest, though he briefly climbed up to P15 after Ai Ogura had a technical issue on lap 15. El Diablo was in the company of Toprak Razgatlíoğlu and focused on defending his position from him. El Diablo did so successfully until lap 18. Losing one more position to Jack Miller on the final lap, he finished in P17, 27.136s from first.
Starting from P21, Rins was not able to make up positions in the tight Turn 1 and settled at the back of the pack. He climbed up a position on lap 5 but had to relinquish it on lap 8, and afterwards it became a lonely ride for him. With three rivals unable to reach the finish line, Rins took the chequered flag in P18, 38.701s from the winner.
Today’s results put Quartaro in 17th place in the championship standings with 6 points. Rins is in 18th with 3 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are in 10th position in the team classifications, with 9 points, and Yamaha is fifth in the contructor rankings with 9 points.
The team will enjoy three weeks off before travelling to Jerez for the Grand Prix of Spain, held from 24–26 April.
Fabio Quartararo (20) and Brad Binder (33) at COTA. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo:“I didn’t expect the tyres to drop like that at the end. I was managing the tyres, but they still dropped in the last five laps. Yamaha knows what we need and what we need to do. Toprak impressed me all weekend, though. The way he rides is really smooth and very much his style, like we’ve seen in WorldSBK – it’s good.”
Alex Rins (42) at COTA. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Alex Rins:“We had an electronic issue in today’s race that was affecting the bike. In the beginning I was feeling good. I was in front of Miller, and I was going to catch Toprak. But on lap 8, I started to encounter an issue, and that’s it. It was quite tough to manage.”
Massimo Meregalli:“All in all, it’s been a tough race weekend. I don’t want to say that ‘it’s a GP to forget’ because we need to learn from the difficulties we faced. We knew before coming here that COTA is one of the tracks that highlight our areas of improvement. Following the Sprint and the Race, we now have data with the new bike that we can analyse. While these are not ‘fun’ races for the riders or our team, they are crucial for future bike development. We will use the three weeks leading up to the Spanish GP to regroup and prepare, so we can give it our all again in Jerez.”
More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR:
Castrol Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco endured a difficult Sunday at COTA, crashing at the early stages of the race.
Starting from 15th on the grid and determined to fight for points, Zarco made a strong launch.
However, on lap two, he suffered a crash at Turn 9 due to another rider’s mistake.
Despite the incident, the Frenchman was able to rejoin the race, gathering valuable data and riding on strong laptimes, ultimately retiring at the end of the race.
Johann Zarco (5) at COTA. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Johann Zarco DNF:“Another rider went to the inside of a rival in Turn 8, and this one had to go wide. I was feeling well and doing a good job, but due to that situation, I had to go in knowing we needed to change direction. He tried to come back, and at the moment of contact my bike fell in Turn 9. It was a racing incident, I don’t complain, these things happen. It was a consequence of what happened at that moment. In any case, I was feeling good and we could have taken a solid result. I decided to continue to gather information, and I was able to be fast even though we were far behind, so it was useful to understand many things.”
More from a press release issued by ELF Marc VDS:
Aron Canet takes solid points for 13th place in a shortened Moto2 race, while Deniz Öncü was 20th.
After an overcast Saturday, the sun returned to Austin on Sunday with the third Moto2 race of 2026 taking place in perfect conditions and ambient temperatures of 25 degrees.
The Moto2 race was red flagged two laps in after a 7-rider collision at Turn. The restart was held over the shortened distance of 10 laps, rather than 16.
A strong crowd was in attendance at the spectacular Circuit of the Americas on Sunday with the main grandstand close to being full.
Aron Canet (44) and Deniz Öncü (53) at COTA. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Team.
Having made excellent improvements on Saturday, Aron was confident starting Sunday. He made a solid getaway in the restart. After losing two places on lap 2, he climbed as high as 11th on lap 6.
The Spaniard was pushed back to 13th on the closing lap, but this was the best feeling he had found so far this year. This should be a solid platform to achieve good results back in Europe.
This result puts Aron 16th in the championship standings with 5.5 points.
Aron Canet:“I’m super happy. This was the best race of the year so far. It’s not the result that I want. It’s not the result that the team wants. But for me I know we need to make improvements step by step and everything won’t come immediately. We have to keep working at it as this weekend I could feel we were getting closer. I’m really happy because we understood many things this weekend and we’ve found a good direction to work in. Let’s try and continue on this line at Jerez.”
Deniz Öncü (53) on the grid at COTA. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Team.
Deniz’s task for the day was made difficult when he crashed on the exit of Turn 11 on the sighting lap of the restart. Thankfully, he was able to remount and make the second start.
After that the Turkish rider struggled to find his best rhythm over the ten laps. But he collected important experience in Austin that will serve him well from the next round in Spain.
This result leaves Deniz 17th in the championship standings with 3.5 points.
Deniz Öncü:“We’ve finished this American GP. It wasn’t an easy weekend for me. But we’ve tried a lot of things to improve my feeling. Today, before the race start, I had a highside on the sighting lap. I still managed to come to the grid and I just made the race start. I can’t say it was a positive weekend. But we tried many things. Also, it looks like we have some ideas to follow at the next round at Jerez. We’ve never been too down, even if this weekend didn’t go as planned. We’ll stay strong and I’ll keep pushing, keep working and make sure I’m fully ready for Jerez.”
More from a press release issued by MT Helmets:
Danish fights back to gain 12 positions and score points in Austin.
The World Championship headed to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin for the United States Grand Prix, the third round of the calendar after Thailand and Brazil.
The AEON Credit MT Helmets–MSi riders were unable to shine in Saturday’s sessions and had to start the race from the back of the grid.
Ryusei Yamanaka started from the seventh row, while Hakim Danish lined up last after a crash in Q1 prevented him from fighting for a place in Q2.
The race was held in dry conditions, with strong winds playing a role in the moments leading up to the start. In this context, Hakim Danish made a strong start, gaining five positions on the opening lap. The Malaysian rider maintained a consistent pace, allowing him to steadily move forward and cross the finish line in 13th place, scoring further points in his rookie Moto3 season.
Meanwhile, Ryusei Yamanaka finished 18th in a race where starting positions proved decisive and limited the Japanese rider’s chances of progressing through the field.
The World Championship now heads into a three-week break before the start of the European leg. The next round will be the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, from April 24 to 26.
Hakim Danish (13) at COTA. Photo courtesy MT Helmets.
Hakim Danish:“I had a heavy crash in qualifying and had to start from the back of the grid, which affected the entire race. Even so, I didn’t give up and managed to gain several positions, especially in the opening laps. It was a demanding race, particularly in terms of tyre management on such a technical circuit. Overall, I’ve learned a lot this weekend.”
Ryusei Yamanaka (6) at COTA. Photo courtesy MT Helmets.
Ryusei Yamanaka: “It was a difficult weekend overall. We couldn’t find the feeling we were looking for, and that affected both our qualifying and race performance. Now it’s time to reset and prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix, at a track I really like and where I hope to take a step forward.”
Factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi made up for his mistake in the Saturday Sprint race in the best possible way on Sunday, leading from lights to flag and setting records along the way. Bezzecchi has now won five straight Grand Prix races, joining an elite club of five-in-a-row Grand Prix winners. Aprilia has gone 1-2 in the last two Grand Prix races, a new mark for the company. And Bezzecchi re-took the Championship points lead. Teammate Jorge Martin, who finished second, has been on the last four podiums (counting Sprint and Grand Prix races) and is in second, four points behind Bezzecchi in the Championship points.
Jorge Martin (89). Photo by Michael Gougis.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta was again the best of the non-Aprilia rest, taking his second podium of the year. Acosta sits third in the points, with 60, behind Bezzecchi with 81 and Martin with 77.
Pedro Acosta. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Fabio Di Giannantonio was the top-finishing Ducati rider, but the Pertamina Enduro VR46 star could do no better than fourth and was fortunate to finish that high, as Trackhouse Racing’s Ai Ogura had passed him and was pulling away when Ogura’s Aprilia broke.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Ducati’s Marc Marquez started his day sitting outside of the medical office next to COTA’s media center, alone and in the dark. He served a long-lap penalty and finished fifth after a battle with Enea Bastianini.
Marc Marquez (93). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Fermin Aldeguer finished the weekend with a 10th place in the Sprint race and 11th in the Grand Prix race. It was remarkable considering that the Gresini Ducati rider is still walking with a cane as he recovers from a broken leg suffered in pre-season testing.
Fermin Aldeguer. Photo by Michael Gougis.
A seven-rider pileup forced officials to red-flag the Moto2 race. Senna Agius took the win in the restarted 10-lap sprint. American Joe Roberts, one of the riders involved in the multi-bike crash, took the restart and finished ninth.
Senna Agius (81). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Joe Roberts (16) was caught up in the first-lap crash that caused the Moto2 race to be red flagged. He finished ninth. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Guido Pini came out on top of a four-rider last-corner scramble and took the Moto3 race win. He became the first Italian rider to win a Moto3 race since Dennis Foggia in 2022.
Guido Pini (94). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Oscar Gutierrez won the second Harley-Davidson World Bagger Cup race of the weekend, rebounding from his last-place finish in Saturday’s race.
Oscar Gutierrez (99). Photo by Michael Gougis.
The main grandstands as seen on Sunday at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Ducati had no answer for the pace of the factory Aprilia machines and riders. So far this season, Ducati has had only four podiums in six Sprint and Grand Prix races and the highest ranking Ducati rider is Fabio Di Giannantonio in fourth, 31 points out of the lead. After the Sprint race, Alex Marquez, who is riding a current-spec Ducati for the first time in his career, estimated that he was only getting 80% out of the 2026 Ducati, and that it still needed development.
Luigi “Gigi” Dall’Igna. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, left, chats with KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister on the grid for the Sprint race, on Saturday at Circuit of The Americas.
Yamaha’s struggles continued at COTA, with the four YZR-M1s mired at the back of the field in a pack. Here Fabio Quartararo (20) leads Toprak Razgatlioglu (07), Alex Rins (42) and Jack Miller (43). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Circuit of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Italian rider won the 20-lap race by 2.036 seconds.
Bezzecchi is the first rider to win five consecutive Grands Prix when leading every lap in the modern area.
His teammate and Sprint race winner, Jorge Martin, was the runner-up.
Pedro Acosta placed third on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.
Pole-sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio crossed the finish line fourth on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Seven-time MotoGP World Champion, Marc Marquez, took fifth on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Marco Bezzecchi leads the championship with 81 points, 4 ahead of Jorge Martin who has 77 points. Pedro Acosta is third with 60 points.
Record-breaker Bezzecchi claims COTA crown with Sunday stunner. Martin makes it an Aprilia 1-2 in Austin, Acosta joins the Noale duo on the podium as Marc Marquez claims P5 following his Long Lap penalty.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) just can’t stop breaking records. The #72 has won an incredible fifth Grand Prix in a row, only the third Italian rider ever to do it, and has won the first three GPs of a season for the first time since Marc Marquez did it in 2014. It was also an Aprilia 1-2 for the second time in succession as Jorge Martin followed up Tissot Sprint Gold with a Sunday podium, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking third.
Acosta got an almighty launch off the front row for the holeshot, with Bezzecchi also steaming forwards to take over in second. Even more so Martin as he shot up into third. Early drama then saw Acosta deep into Turn 11, with Bezzecchi cutting up the inside on the tighter line. On the exit the two were side-by-side and the two bashed fairings – with a piece of Aprilia breaking off and flying off behind them. Bez retained the lead following that, with Acosta recovering quickly despite the bash and Martin hovering third too.
Marc Marquez (93), Francesco Bagnaia (63) and Enea Bastianini (23) during the MotoGP race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Behind, it was all heating up in the group. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) vs Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) first, with the yellow machine ahead, before Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was then also able to pick his way past the #93 – followed swiftly by Honda HRC Castrol’s Joan Mir.
By then, it was new record time: crossing the line ahead for each lap until the start of Lap 4, Bezzecchi has officially led more consecutive Grand Prix laps than anyone else in the modern era. The previous record was 103 held by Jorge Lorenzo in 2015, Lap 4 in COTA made it 104 for Bezzecchi.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez was out of the heat of battle and into the Long Lap area. The #93 had the penalty for his incidentB with Di Giannantonio in the Sprint, and he completed that with no drama. Then Mir was given a Long Lap for a shortcut taken when in the heat of that battle for fourth, but the #36 crashed out not long after.
Meanwhile at the front, Martin had made one luge on Acosta for second and been denied, and a couple of laps later had a huge moment at Turn 1. He saved it but dropped back into the clutches of Diggia, with Bagnaia also homing in on the back of the #49.
At half race distance, it was Bez leading Acosta by around a second, with Martin, Diggia and Bagnaia close behind. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) had attacked Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) for sixth, with Sprint podium finisher Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) on their tail. Marc Marquez was down in P9 after his Long Lap, not making many inroads into the #23 ahead.
Ogura and Bastianini were the riders on the move. Ogura was homing in on Bagnaia and Bastianini on Alex Marquez. By Lap 12, the American Flag-liveried Trackhouse machine of Ogura was past Bagnaia in brutal but clean style. Next target: Diggia. The Japanese rider sliced up the inside at Turn 12, another brutal but clean move.
Just after that, Acosta had a moment at Turn 1 – wide or looking for a bike to follow for tyre pressure? Martin was able to just sweep past the KTM, making it an Aprilia 1-2, with Ogura on the march too.
MotoGP Race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Meanwhile in the fight for sixth, the Bagnaia – Bastianini – Alex Marquez – Marc Marquez quartet was heating up, and drama hit for Ogura. As Marc Marquez elbowed past Alex Marquez and then past Bastianini to tag onto the back of Bagnaia, Ogura was slowing and pulling over out of the group’s way – a technical issue putting paid to his incredible charge.
Bagnaia vs Marc Marquez was then game on for fifth – but not according to Bastianiani. The #23 attacked Marquez first instead of took sixth. The #93 responded. Bastianini wasn’t done, sending it at the end of the back straight. Marquez got him on the cutback. It settled briefly before Marquez attacked Bagnaia, and Bastianini barreled straight through to follow the #93.
Meanwhile at the front, Bezzecchi was just about keeping enough in hand over Martin, and onto the last lap he eked it out to cross the line 1.7 seconds clear. He extended that lap-leading run to an even bigger record of 121 and becomes only the third Italian rider ever to win five in a row after Hall of Famers Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini. He’s also the first rider to win the first three GPs of the season since Marc Marquez did it in 2014.
Jorge Martin (left) and Marco Bezzecchi (right) in the parc fermé after the MotoGP race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Martin makes it an Aprilia 1-2, the first time the factory has achieved that twice in a row, and only just loses that Championship lead gained with his Sprint Gold medal. Acosta held on to third place for a podium on Sunday to add a trophy to replace the medal lost on Saturday.
Diggia takes fourth, in an ultimately lonely ride to the flag but comes home as top Ducati. Marc Marquez did hold on to fifth ahead of Bastianini – just – with Alex Marquez taking P7. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP team) slots into eighth, with he and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) getting past Bagnaia late on.
After a dramatic weekend in Texas, the grid now has time to recharge and reload for Jerez. The Spanish GP is in a few weeks, so come back for more as MotoGP heads over to Europe for another classic race weekend – with Aprilia very much in control in the title fight.
Senna Agius won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex on Pirelli control tires, Agius won the 10-lap race by 0.497 second.
The race was red-flagged following a crash involving multiple riders and was subsequently reduced from 16 laps to 10.
Celestino Vietti was the runner-up on his HDR SpeedRS Boscoscuro.
Izan Guevara was a close third on his Blu Cru Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro.
David Alonso finished fourth on his CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Kalex.
Agius’ teammate and championship point leader, Manuel Gonzalez took fifth.
American Joe Roberts finished Sunday’s race in 9th on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Manuel Gonzalez leads the championship with 39.5 points, 3.5 ahead of Izan Guevara who has 36 points. Daniel Holgado is third with 33 points.
Agius fends off Vietti for Moto2 honours at COTA. The Australian got the job done during a red-flagged Grand Prix in the USA.
Having had a difficult opening couple of rounds, Senna Agius (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) put in a determined ride to take a third career victory in Moto2. The #81 resisted a late charge from Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) with the #13 taking a first podium of the season whilst the rostrum was completed by Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2).
The holeshot honours went to Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) but all eyes were behind as a collision at Turn 1 ended Championship leader Daniel Holgado’s (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) and Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) Grand Prix. However, there was then a big incident at Turn 11 on the opening lap involving Filip Salac (OnlyFans American Racing Team), Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR – GALFER – MSI), David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Sergio Garcia (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) and Alberto Ferrandez (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), bringing out the red flag. All riders were reported conscious and the Grand Prix restarted for 10 laps – all riders who crashed were eligible to restart but Piqueras and Ferrandez were taken to the medical centre.
Ahead of the restart, a raft of contenders were handed Long Lap Penalties – Holgado for causing a crash at Turn 1 whilst Muñoz and Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing) for unsafe changes of direction from the original start. Elsewhere, Deniz Öncü (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed on the sighting lap but did start. On the restart itself, Lopez grabbed the holeshot before Baltus came through on him at Turn 13 but still had to serve his Long Lap Penalty. Behind, Agius made his move to get into P2 ahead of Lopez before pouncing on leader Baltus on Lap 3 into Turn 12.
Onto Lap 4, Vietti was on the charge and having dispatched of Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), he got ahead of Lopez at Turn 1, the Spaniard now dropping back. On Lap 5, Baltus briefly took the lead back at Turn 12 on Agius but then came into serve his LLP, slotting back into P7 and just ahead of Alonso, with the Colombian soon getting ahead of the Belgian before he also got ahead of Lopez and was now sitting in fifth with four to go. A lap later at Turn 1, the #80 got into fourth, a stunning comeback from 17th on the grid.
Back at the front and Vietti took over at the front on the run down the 1.2km backstraight, only for Agius to attempt to respond at Turn 19 but he was unable to make it stick. Two laps to go, the gloves had come off as Agius pulled a bold move to hit the front going into Turn 3 and then the Australian pulled the pin to start the final lap of the Grand Prix. Despite a mega final lap from Vietti, it was Agius who took an emotional third career victory ahead of the Italian, whilst Guevara put in a cracking performance to bag a second podium of 2026 in P3.
17th to fourth, a fine Sunday for Alonso whilst Gonzalez was a solid fifth, enough to assume the Championship lead. After his Long Lap Penalty, Baltus was sixth ahead of Lopez whilst Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) fended off home-hero Roberts for eighth, with the #16 restarting to get his best result of the season whilst it was Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) rounded out the top ten.
Next stop, the European tour begins! Moto2 returns to Jerez!
Guido Pini won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Using his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda, the Italian rider won the 14-lap race by just 0.056 second, making it his first Moto3 victory.
Maximo Quiles was the runner-up on his CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team KTM.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe was third, just 0.254 second behind race winner Pini.
Valentin Perrone crossed the finish line fourth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine and Pini’s teammate, Adrian Fernandez got fifth.
Maximo Quiles leads the championship with 65 points, 23 ahead of Alvaro Carpe who has 42 points. Valentin Perrone is third with 38 points.
Pini pockets last corner win in Moto3 COTA classic. The Italian takes his maiden victory as the podium fight delivers a show to remember – right to the wire.
Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) is a Moto3 Grand Prix winner! The Italian came out on top in final corner fisticuffs at COTA, claiming victory by just 0.056. Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) took second, with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the podium after his final corner attack on Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) saw both head wide and lose out on a 1-2.
Carpe took the holeshot from pole ahead of Perrone, with Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) losing out off the start as Quiles went full send into Turn 1 and grabbed third. The two orange machines were streaking away in the lead early doors, but Quiles got the hammer down to tag back on, with the Leopard Racing duo of Pini and Adrian Fernandez next up the road.
Guido Pini in the parc fermé after chis victory at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP
After it had been a seven-rider fight early doors, Joel Esteban (LEVELUP – MTA) and Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) were out of that with 10 to go as Pratama crashed out and Esteban couldn’t avoid the bike. Both riders were ok but the group was down to five before Fernandez started to fade, leaving four riders fighting for three places on the podium.
By three to go, the gloves started to come off. Pini attacked Quiles at Turn 11 and got the lead momentarily before being denied and then tried again at Turn 12 – this time hooking it up and keeping it. With that shuffle at the front, Carpe was right back in it and the four-rider fight really started to heat up.
Onto the last lap, Perrone led Pini, but Carpe slotted into second early doors. Pini then lost out to Quiles at Turn 11, with the long back straight seeing everyone absolutely pinned – but it was Carpe who led out of 12. Then Perrone attacked at 13, Carpe repaid him through 17-18, Perrone was back through in style at Turn 19 and Carpe took it back again a corner later. But it all went down to the final corner.
Carpe went for the win and sliced up the inside, with Perrone pushed out wide and the #83 only just keeping it on track too. The door was open for the duo behind them, and neither Pini nor Quiles needed a second invitation. In their drag race to the line, Pini took it by 0.056, with Quiles second and Carpe holding on to third. Perrone, after a stunning race, was forced to settle for fourth.
Fernandez took fifth, with a huge fight behind going to the wire too. Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power) took P6 right at the line as rookie Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) got bumped aside at the finish line, allowing fellow rookie Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to just steal P7 too. Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP – MTA) took ninth ahead of Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), with compatriot Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – Mlav Racing) just missing out on the top ten but taking his best Moto3 finish yet. Front row starter O’Gorman crashed out from that group.
Moto3 race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP
Check out full results from Moto3 at the Red Bull US GP here. Now we wait for the Spanish GP with a few weekends off – chance for the field to recharge and come back out swinging on turf that’s much more familiar for many. Will the order shuffle again? Join us in Jerez to find out!
Oscar Gutierrez won the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Race Two Sunday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Niti Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Spaniard won the 7-lap race by 3.020 seconds.
Eric Granado was the runner-up on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson and his teammate, Archie Mcdonald finished third.
Archie Macdonald crossed the finish line in 2nd place but received a three-second penalty for failing to comply with the long lap penalty after exceeding track limits.
Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Jake Lewis was 4th, Cory West finished the race in 6th and Travis Wyman suffered technical issues on his bike.
Cody Wyman did not start the race on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson.
Archie McDonald leads the championship with 41 points, 8 ahead of Oscar Gutierrez who has 33 points. Jake Lewis is third with 33 points.
More from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
Two winners, intense battles and history made at Bagger World Cup Opener in Austin.
AUSTIN, Texas — The opening round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup delivered intense on-track battles and dramatic moments at the Circuit of the Americas, as the new global championship in partnership with MotoGP™ officially came to life alongside the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of the Americas.
Both the races of the weekend were fought until the final laps, producing the first two winners in the history of the category. Archie McDonald (Joe Rascal Racing) claimed victory in Race 1 on Saturday, while Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing) secured the win in Race 2 on Sunday.
Race 1:
At the start of the first race in championship history, young Australian Archie McDonald launched perfectly from the grid, getting the better of teammate Eric Granado, who had secured pole position in qualifying with a lap time of 2:12.387. The battle between the two intensified at mid-race, with Granado taking the lead after a mistake from McDonald. However, the Australian responded shortly after, reclaiming the position when Granado lost the front under braking and dropped back through the field. Jake Lewis (Saddlemen Race Development) delivered a strong and consistent ride to take second place, showcasing experience and control across the race distance, while Filippo Rovelli (ParkinGO Team) secured third with a composed and disciplined performance to round out the podium.
Race 2:
McDonald and Granado were once again protagonists at the start of Race 2, with the Australian repeating his strong launch off the line. The two Joe Rascal Racing riders immediately set a fast pace, but were unable to break away from Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing), who steadily increased his rhythm lap after lap. The Spanish rider closed the gap and executed two clean overtakes to take the lead, going on to secure victory at the checkered flag. On lap five, Gutiérrez also set a new benchmark for the category at the Austin circuit with a time of 2:12.348, establishing both the race lap record and the all-time lap record for the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup at Circuit of the Americas. Second at the finish line was Archie McDonald, but a three-second penalty for failing to complete the prescribed Long Lap after twice exceeding track limits dropped the Australian to third in the final classification, promoting Eric Granado to second.
Jeffrey Schuessler – Director of Global Racing Programs, Harley-Davidson: “This weekend delivered exactly what we set out to build. Close racing, battles decided in the final laps, and riders pushing these machines to the limit from the very start. The level of competition showed up immediately, and that’s a strong indication of where this championship is headed. We also saw different riding styles coming together on track, with riders finding their own way to be fast on these bikes. That created some really interesting race dynamics and showed how competitive and adaptable this grid already is from the first round. What’s been especially powerful is the global nature of the championship, with riders and teams from different parts of the world coming together to be part of something new. That’s a significant step forward for the series. And then there’s the emotion. You feel it in the sound, the torque, and the presence of these bikes on track. It’s raw, it’s different, and it’s real. This is not just racing. We’re building something new here, a global platform that brings a different kind of energy to the MotoGP stage and connects with fans in a way that is authentic to Harley-Davidson.”
Archie McDonald – Joe Rascal Racing – Race 1 Winner: “History. That’s the first word that comes to my mind. It was the first race in the history of the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, and I took the first win, hopefully the first of many. I’m really happy. There has been a lot of preparation behind this project, from myself, the team and Harley-Davidson, so this result feels amazing. I had a strong start, even if leading early wasn’t ideal. Granado passed me after a mistake, I stayed with him, and then he made a mistake and I took the lead again. My plan was to wait until the final laps to make a move, but in the end I didn’t need to. I’m sorry about Eric’s crash, as it’s not the way I wanted to win, but I’m still enjoying the moment. I’m really proud of my team and Harley-Davidson for making history with me, and I thank them all.”
Oscar Gutiérrez – Niti Racing –Race 2 Winner: “I’m very happy with this win. We did a great job regaining our focus after Race 1, and this was the best way to finish the Austin weekend. Already this morning I felt we had the potential to do it. I had a great feeling with the bike from the sighting lap and told my team that today was the right day. During the race I took my time to study Archie and Eric in front of me and understand where I could attack them. Then there was a moment when I clearly felt stronger, so I decided to increase the pace and make my moves. It’s a great victory, but we need to keep working well because the championship may look short, but it is still long with many races to go. We are already looking ahead to Mugello and continuing on this path. One area where I still need to improve is the start. At the beginning of the race I had to push to recover because McDonald and Granado started very strong. But I knew that if I stayed calm I could come back, and that’s what I did. I stayed patient for a couple of laps, then when I felt I had more pace I made the overtakes and in the end took a win that makes me very happy.”
Following the opening round, Archie McDonald leads the championship standings with 41 points, ahead of Oscar Gutiérrez and Jake Lewis, both on 33 points.
Championship Standings:
Archie McDonald (AUS) – 41 (25 / 16)
Oscar Gutiérrez (SPA) – 33 (8 / 25)
Jake Lewis (USA) – 33 (20 / 13)
Eric Granado (BRA) – 30 (10 / 20)
Filippo Rovelli (ITA) – 27 (16 / 11)
Cory West (USA) – 23 (13 / 10)
Travis Wyman (USA) – 11 (11 / -)
Cody Wyman (USA) – 9 (9 / -)
Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA) – 9 (- / 9)
The next round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup will take place at the Mugello International Circuit during the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of Italy, from May 29–31.
DETROIT – A common adage in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship has long been that anything can happen at any given moment, and that sentiment reigned true during Round 11 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship inside Ford Field. An exceptionally challenging racetrack, anchored by the most treacherous and demanding whoop section of the season, pushed the most talented racers on the planet to the limit and ultimately resulted in a dramatic shakeup of the 450SMX Class title fight as Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen enjoyed a dominant performance for the landmark 25th victory of his career.
Ken Roczen’s Dominant Victory Headlines Wild Night in Detroit as Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight Shakes Up.
The 20 Minute + 1 Lap 450SMX Class Main Event kicked off with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado capturing his fifth holeshot of the season ahead of Roczen and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton, who made his return to action after missing three races. Championship leader Hunter Lawrence started deep inside the top 10 aboard his Honda HRC Progressive machine, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, second in points, started outside the top 10. Back up front, Prado was able to fend off heavy pressure from Roczen for several laps, but the German native seized control of the race lead just a few minutes into the action. Prado then battled briefly with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, the reigning Supercross champion, but the two came together and went down, which dropped them deep in the field.
Roczen quickly built a multi-second lead over Sexton, who moved into second, while Lawrence overcame one of his worst starts of the season to claw his way up to third. The top three settled in through the middle portion of the Main Event, with each finding a consistent rhythm that kept the lead trio within three seconds of each other. Just before the halfway point of the moto, when both Sexton and Lawrence had made inroads on Roczen’s lead, Lawrence crashed hard exiting the whoops. He remounted but was forced to have his bike attended to in the mechanics area, which lost him a lap.
Roczen extended his lead once more to end the threat from Sexton, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart moved into third ahead of Tomac. Roczen continued to pull away and easily took home his second win of the season in his 173rd career start by a margin of 7.7 seconds over Sexton. Stewart broke through with his first podium result of the season in third, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper in fourth, ahead of Tomac in fifth. Lawrence, meanwhile, soldiered through another fall to salvage 18th place.
A dramatic shakeup in the championship has moved Tomac back atop standings for the first time since the fourth race of the season, as he now holds a four-point lead over Lawrence with six races remaining. Roczen’s win moved him to within 14 points of the lead to establish a three-rider battle for the championship’s stretch run.
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen captured a milestone 25th victory in his 173rd career start amidst a shakeup in the title fight. Photo courtesy SMX
Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class:
“I don’t know what to say, but this is exactly what I was talking about [people overlooking my ability to win]. This was a tough Main Event. I was definitely not the fastest in the beginning. I was playing a little bit with the track. I knew they were gaining on me, so I switched up my rhythms slightly. It was tough, because I wasn’t necessarily lighting the world on fire [with my speed] but the track was so tough. The whoops were a 50-50 chance you were going to make it through or end up on your back. I am so excited, you have no idea. We closed up some points, but we still have a lot of racing to go.”
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton captured an impressive runner-up finish in his first race back from a recent injury that sidelined him for a month. Photo courtesy SMX
Chase Sexton – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class:
“Those weeks at home watching the races, there were some dark times. Obviously, I didn’t want to get injured and didn’t want to sit on the couch, but I wanted to come back when I was ready. I felt pretty good tonight, but I also felt that couch about 10 minutes into the Main Event. I felt good in the beginning and got a little tight and a little winded. We’ll go back to work but definitely a great start to the comeback. It’s been a long year for the team and me, but we want to go up from here.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart broke through with his first podium finish of the season during his best outing of the year. Photo courtesy SMX
Malcolm Stewart – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class:
“It’s been tough [this season]. I had an unfortunate situation in Anaheim [getting injured at the first race]. I kind of just felt like I didn’t know if I’d get on the podium [this season]. That’s partly just not believing in yourself, and I realized I need to pull myself out of that. I want to give it up to my team, they’ve been in my ear all season telling me I can do this. I told them we’d pop some champagne before the end of the season, so huge shout out to them.”
450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Chase Sexton, Ken Roczen, and Malcolm Stewart. Photo courtesy SMX
Eli Tomac – 5th Place – 450SMX Class Points Leader:
“Of course, I saw Hunter’s [Lawrence] crash and knew I was going to take advantage of that once I saw him a lap down, but overall, a bit of a frustrating day here. I’ve actually struggled here my past couple rides. I don’t know what it is. I haven’t had the best success at Detroit lately. Maybe I’ve been in kind of a midseason slump. We’ll do what we can to get better, improve, and get back to winning some races and be up at the front.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac regained control of the points lead following a fifth-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence suffered two crashes in the Main Event and finished a lap down in 18th to lose control of the championship lead. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies Storms to Third Straight 250SMX Class Win
The fifth 15 Minute + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event of the season started with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher leading the field to the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda. Behind them, championship leader Cole Davies was mired in 15th place aboard his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine. Thrasher held onto the lead for a couple laps but then crashed out of contention in the whoops, which handed the lead to Hammaker. As the Kawasaki rider asserted his hold of the top spot over Shimoda, Davies was on a torrid march to the front. Thanks to an unparalleled level of speed through a challenging whoops section, the New Zealander easily broke into the top 10 and soon found his way into the top five before the halfway point. From there, Davies charged into podium position and made quick work of a pass by Shimoda to move into second place. He then proceeded to erase a four second deficit to Hammaker and fittingly made the winning pass coming out of the whoops with just under six minutes to go. From there, Davies checked out on the field. Hammaker easily held onto second, while Shimoda was forced to contend with ClubMX Yamaha’s Coty Schock, who initially got by his Japanese counterpart for a spot on the podium, only to give it back after a crash in the whoops.
Davies completed an incredible come-from-behind performance by a margin of 12.1 seconds over Hammaker for a third straight Main Event victory, while Shimoda rounded out the podium in third.
With his third consecutive win, Davies extended his lead in the championship standings to nine points over Hammaker, with Shimoda sitting 14 points back in third.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies overcame a start outside the top 10 to capture an impressive come-from-behind victory, his third in-a-row. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“When I don’t perform, I’m pretty hard on myself. Me, my family, and all the people around me put in so much hard work, so when I don’t perform like I know I can I’m pretty hard on myself. But I’m stoked with that Main Event. I know that’s how I can ride. I just put everything together well. I didn’t have a good start, but I made it happen, so I’m stoked with that.”
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker took advantage of a great start to lead laps and bring home a runner-up finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Seth Hammaker – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“That was a tough race. I got myself off to a pretty good start and was riding okay in the beginning. I knew Cole [Davies] was in the back of the pack but man, he was riding good. Gotta give it up to him. A solid second on the night. I’ve learned from the past not to throw the races away that aren’t there for me. I want to win more than anybody, but you’ve got to know when to pull back and second is what we had tonight.”
Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda battled hard to capture a third-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Jo Shimoda – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“Honestly, I was just so bad all day. I just couldn’t figure it out. I just have to do better. Nothing was really good for me today, so I’m sorry to my team. We tested all week and I think we’re stepping in the right direction, so we’ve got to keep chasing. We’ll see next weekend.”
Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Seth Hammaker, Cole Davies, and Jo Shimoda. Photo courtesy SMX
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 4, with Round 12 from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis for the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross honoring the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the fight against childhood cancer. Live broadcast coverage on Peacock will begin at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).
All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at Supermotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday afternoon at Portimao, in Portugal. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 1.967-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Miguel Oliveira rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and Sam Lowes got fifth on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 7th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff crashed his Kawasaki ZX-10RR on turn 15.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 124 points, 56 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 68 points. Axel Bassani is third with 60 points.
PORTIMAO PERFECTION: Bulega secures hat-trick on the rollercoaster ahead of Lecuona, Oliveira secures P3. The #11 made it two hat-tricks to start the 2026 season as he beat his teammate and home hero Oliveira.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a hat-trick at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve as his perfect start to the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season continued. He defeated teammate Iker Lecuona for the third time this weekend while home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will also leave the Pirelli Portuguese Round with three trophies after a third P3 finish.
HAT-TRICK HERO: Bulega’s winning run hits double figures
Bulega made it three holeshots for the weekend as he leapt off the grid to maintain P1, being trailed by Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and, before the #88 got ahead of the #22 at Turn 3 on Lap 2. Iker Lecuona made a slow start again but was back in the rostrum places when he got ahead of Alex Lowes at Turn 1 on Lap 3. A lap later and the #7 passed Oliveira for second at Turn 1 despite the Portuguese rider’s efforts to hang it around the outside at the right-hand corner. While Bulega and Lowes were pulling clear of Oliveira, the #88 had to defend from Alex Lowes in the final six laps of the race but dug deep as he secured his third P3 finish at his home round. Bulega’s winning streak is now 10 races and it’s the best start to a season since Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) won 11 races in a row in 2019. With Lecuona’s P2, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati become the first team to take three 1-2 finishes in a weekend; they were also 1-2 in Tissot Superpole.
ALEX AHEAD OF SAM: The twin brothers close together on track
With the British rider unable to pass Oliveira, despite finishing only 0.169s behind the BMW star, he had to settle for P4 ahead of twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), who finished P5 for the fifth time this season; when he has seen the chequered flag in 2026, he has finished in this position. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) finished in sixth after fighting up the order, five seconds behind the #14 directly ahead.
COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: Petrucci defeats Bassani in late-race fight
Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had his strongest race of the weekend as he finished in P7 after a late-race battle with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team). The #9 got ahead of his compatriot on the penultimate lap at Turn 1. Bassani finished just over a second behind Petrucci with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completing the top ten. They had been in a fight with Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) but the #31 crashed out of the race on the final lap.
SCORING POINTS: A birthday present for Manzi, Rea takes P12
Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was able to claim points on his birthday as he finished in P11, his best result in his fledgling WorldSBK career. He finished ahead of Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) who took 12th ahead of Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates). It means Rea has now scored points in all 19 of his WorldSBK seasons. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) finished 14th despite a crash at Turn 5 on Lap 4, as did Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) on the same lap in a separate incident, but recovered to P14 with Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) claiming the final point in Race 2; he served a Long Lap Penalty in Race 2 due to irresponsible riding in the Tissot Superpole Race.
HOUSEKEEPING: Several retirements from the final race of the weekend
There were five retirements from Race 2. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) crashed at Turn 13 on Lap 5 which ended his hopes of adding to his points tally, while Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) crashed a lap later at Turn 5. On Lap 8, Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) fell at Turn 13 while Bautista was also a faller at Turn 5, coming down a lap later to the despair of Team Manager Marco Barnabo. Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) came down at Turn 4 on Lap 16 to end his race. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) rejoined the race despite crashing at the same time as Vierge in a separate incident at Turn 5, and while he entered the pits initially, he rejoined the track but was not classified after being six laps down.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.967s
3. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.096s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +7.265s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +10.079s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +15.105s
Fastest lap: Iker Lecuona, Ducati – 1’39.792s
Championship standings:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 124 points
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 68
3. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 60
4. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 56
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 48
6. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 43
Next up for WorldSBK is the ‘Cathedral of Speed’! Watch all the action from the TT Circuit Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Marco Bezzecchi was fastest in the MotoGP Warm Up session Sunday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Italian led the 21-rider field with a time of 2:01.631 around the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) circuit.
Marc Marquez was second-best with a 2:01.720 on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26, and Fabio Di Giannantonio jumped up the order to third with a time of 2:02.093 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
The full-length MotoGP race is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. Local Time.
Josh Waters (1), Harrison Voight (29), Cru Halliday (65), Jonathan Nahlous (20) and Glenn Allerton (14) in Superbike race one. Photo courtesy ASBK.
McMartin Racing Ducati teammates Josh Waters and Harrison Voight dominated round two of the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli (ASBK) under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) on Saturday, March 28.
Polesitter Waters won the opening SW-Motech Superbike race – his fourth in a row at SMSP dating back to 2024 – before Voight executed brilliantly in the second to maintain his healthy lead in the 2026 championship after two of five rounds.
The two-day event at SMSP saw precipitation on Friday make way for sublime weather on Saturday and the bulk of the race program, with other winners including a blistering clean sweep by Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) in Kawasaki Supersport and more teammate heroics – this time from BCperformance Kawasaki duo Tom Edwards and Hayden Nelson in Supersport Next Gen.
Meanwhile, New Zealander Tyler King (Kawasaki) extended his lead in the Race and Road Supersport 300 class despite a stunning double from Orlando Peovitis (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki), and Oscar Lewis edged out his younger brother Connor in the BLU CRU R3 Cup opener.
All the pre-round talk about the SW-Motech ‘changing of the guard’ was just a minor distraction for the veteran Waters, who powered to a 20th pole position and then victory in race one – his ninth at SMSP and the 45th in a storied career at the top level in Australia.
Voight led early before Waters took over the running, while hard-charging pair Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati, second) and SMSP lap record holder Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha Racing Team, third) also slid their way into podium positions during the 13-lapper.
Voight was fourth from Jacob Roulstone (Motocity Honda), Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati), Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and Marcus Hamod (Motocity Honda), while Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) recovered to finish ninth after an off-track excursion on lap one. Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) also ran off before crashing moments later.
There was an air of inevitability who would be the fastest on track for race two, and that’s what transpired as Voight was a clear winner from Waters and Halliday – while Nahlous was also in the mix before he crashed out of second place on lap four while trying to break Voight’s resolve.
The battle for fourth was a cracker, with Roulstone coming up trumps from Anthony West (DesmoSport Ducati), Dunker, Allerton and Jones. Hamod and Favelle completed the top 10.
Voight’s race two rebound saw him extend his championship lead to 14pts (110 to 96) over new second place man, Waters, with Roulstone (95pts) in third from Halliday (73pts), West (72pts), Dunker (71pts) and Allerton (71pts).
Harrison Voight (29) scored the holeshot in Superbike race two. Photo courtesy ASBK.
Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen:
Two championships under one umbrella, and with similar levels of performance to produce scintillating racing.
That was the playbook in the second half of 2025 and the 2026 season opener at Phillip Island for Supersport and Supersport Next Gen, but at SMSP no-one told Farnsworth who produced two clinical victories.
And in one memorable evening, the Sydneysider doubled his previous win tally in Kawasaki Supersport from two to four.
Farnsworth (1-1) was the overall Supersport winner at SMSP, taking over the championship lead from Valentino Knezovic (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 2-2). Thai visitor Anupab Sarmoon (MotoGo Racing Yamaha, 3-3) was third, while in Supersport Next Gen it was Nelson (1-2) from Edwards (3-1) and Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati, 2-3). Simpson remains the Next Gen leader, but it’s been trimmed by Edwards to just 4pts.
In the over-arching battle, Farnsworth was first home in the opening 11-lapper from Nelson, Simpson, Edwards, Knezovic and Sarmoon, and in the second Farnsworth completed his whitewash from Edwards, Nelson, Knezovic, Simpson and Sarmoon.
Meanwhile, it was misfortune for two other Next Gen riders in Sydney, with Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati) eliminated with a blown engine and debutante Jacob Hatch (Triumph) not even getting through qualifying after being caught out as collateral damage in a Scott Nicholson (TeamBWR Yamaha) crash.
Hayden Nelson (279), Olly Simpson (45) and Valentino Knezovic (48). Photo courtesy ASBK.
Race and Road Supersport 300 and BLU CRU R3 Cup
Peovitis marched through the two Race and Road Supersport 300 races with a level of authority rarely seen in the class, with his winning margins five and six seconds respectively.
While Peovitis’ domination was atypical, behind the West Aussie it was more of the same close-quarters intensity we’ve come to expect, with King second in both races and the third places shared by Phoenix O’Brien (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) and Lincoln Knight (Yamaha).
That was where the program ended, with race three abandoned after Knight crashed at turn two and required medical intervention.
King leads the championship on 95pts from the charging Peovitis (85pts) and Jordy Simpson (Yamaha, 82pts).
In the BLU CRU R3 Cup, Oscar Lewis (1-2-4), Connor Lewis (2-1-6) and defending champion Simpson (6-3-2) were the top brass in Sydney, while Matthew Ritter scored two third places.
The 2026 ASBK Championship will now head to The Bend for round three on May 1-3.
The R3 Cup race two podium: (L to R) Oscar Lewis, Connor Lewis and Jordy Simpson. Photo courtesy ASBK.
For more information on the Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli:
Marco Bezzecchi after claiming victory at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
More from a press release issued by Aprilia:
Aprilia Racing makes history in the USA with another one-two.
The weekend on the Circuit of the Americas comes to a close with a historic result for Aprilia Racing, taking their second consecutive one-two.
Marco Bezzecchi, starting from the fourth spot on the grid due to a penalty from Q2, was the protagonist of an extraordinary race. After contact during the first lap which damaged the rear wing of his RS-GP26, the Italian rider moved into the lead at the end of the first lap, maintaining the position all the way to the chequered flag. With this result, he takes his fifth win in a row, becoming the third rider of the modern era to manage the feat after Valentino Rossi and Marc Márquez.
For Bezzecchi this is also his sixth victory in the top class with Aprilia Racing, in addition to being the first rider to win the first three Grand Prix races of a season – an achievement that had not been accomplished since 2014. The Italian rider is now the first in the modern MotoGP era to win five consecutive GP races, remaining in the lead from the first to the last lap. In fact, Bezzecchi rode the last five GP races entirely in the lead and, with today’s result, now has a total of 121 laps in the lead, surpassing the previous record held by Jorge Lorenzo (103).
Completing the one-two was Jorge Martín, who rode a solid race to finish second. This is the Spanish rider’s second consecutive podium in a long race with Aprilia Racing and his second podium finish of the weekend, after winning the sprint race on Saturday.
This is Aprilia Racing’s eleventh victory in the top class – their second in Austin after Maverick Viñales’ win in 2024 – and their fifth consecutive. The manufacturer from Noale has now also taken their third one-two in the top class and, for the first time in their history, two one-two finishes in a row. With today’s victory, Aprilia Racing now has 305 wins in World Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing.
Marco Bezzecchi (72). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Marco Bezzecchi: “Saturday I made a mistake that I should have avoided, but the team was very close to me. Today it was important to ride a good race. I’m extremely happy and thrilled. I have been dreaming about doing well on this track that I’ve always liked for a long time, but I had never managed to finish the way I wanted to until now. Riding such a great race was incredible.”
Jorge Martin (89). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Jorge Martin: “I am truly happy and extremely grateful to Aprilia. I gave my all and that makes me very proud. Saturday, I achieved the goal of winning the sprint race and I gave it my all on Sunday as well. Marco was incredible: I tried to make up ground behind him, but I was pushing too hard physically and I had to slow down in the last three laps. I have always struggled on this track, so to be on the podium here after my absence last year is fantastic.”
Massimo Rivola – CEO Aprilia Racing: “It was a memorable Sunday for Aprilia Racing, with two truly outstanding riders and an extremely competitive bike. I am very pleased with the demonstration of the synergy between the work carried out in Noale and on track. Clearly, all of this does not reduce our drive — on the contrary, it gives us even more motivation to continue developing the bike. What happened today is something historic, destined to go down in the record books. However, we still need to keep improving, because what happened to Ai Ogura is difficult to accept. I’m very sorry for him, for Justin Marks and Davide Brivio of the Trackhouse MotoGP Team. Today there was the chance to see three Aprilias on the podium and, when these opportunities arise, you have to take them.”
More from a press release issued by VR46 Team:
Di Giannantonio ends the United States GP in fourth place.The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, on track with a special livery, was very close to the podium on Sunday in Austin with Di Giannantonio, who finished the race in fourth place. Morbidelli ended in fourteenth position.
The United States GP concluded with a fourth-place finish for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, which went on track on Sunday in Austin with a special livery designed by Aldo Drudi. Fabio Di Giannantonio fought for the podium, finishing fourth and as the top Ducati rider. Franco Morbidelli placed fourteenth after a comeback race.
Di Giannantonio made the most of his pole position start (secured by breaking the lap time record), immediately joining the battle for the podium. Fabio showed an excellent pace, managing to stay with the leading group and defend his position with great determination. The rider frome Rome crossed the finish line in fourth place, confirming himself once again in Austin as the best Ducati rider at the finish. Di Giannantonio is fourth in the World Standing with 50 points.
A challenging race for Morbidelli, who started from twentieth position. After a difficult start, Franco showed great determination on a very demanding track, gaining positions. Consistently improving lap after lap, the Italian-Brazilian rider crossed the finish line in fourteenth place. With today’s result, he is thirteenth in the World Standing with 14 points.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will return to the track in three weeks following the extended break caused by the postponement of the Qatar GP. MotoGP returns to Europe for the Spanish GP, which will take place from 24th to 26th April at the Circuito de Jerez.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Fabio Di Giannantonio:“Overall, it was a positive weekend, I’m very happy. We arrived here in Austin and I wasn’t at 100% of my physical condition, so I have to thank Christian, the physiotherapist, and the whole team for the work they did to help me recover with my shoulder. We’ll need to undergo some tests to understand what’s going on, because I struggled a bit physically. Aside from that, we’re in great shape, we’re putting pressure on the front riders even though there’s still a gap at the moment. We need to work both with the team and Ducati to close that gap. We know where we need to improve and we’re already doing it. We’re still missing something in the race. It’s not the result we wanted, because when you’re competing at a high level you always aim for the podium, but today I gave my best and fourth was the maximum we could achieve. There are still many positives to take home: I got pole position and set many fast laps. I’m really happy.”
Franco Morbidelli (21) and Diogo Moreira (11) at COTA. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Franco Morbidelli: “It was a tough weekend. We struggled every day, although less and less each day. Today in the race we managed to score two points: it’s not what we want, but it was important to finish the race to gather information and data. The feeling with the bike wasn’t great this weekend, we didn’t have rear grip. But, we started from further back and improved more and more as the days went on. That’s a positive aspect. Now we have a few weeks off, we’ll keep training and working with the team to do better and return to our best.”
Pablo Nieto – Team Manager:“Overall, Austin was a good weekend for Diggia and we should be happy. We were missing something, because we were fighting for the win with him, and it’s a pity we didn’t make it on the podium. But he took pole position and achieving this kind of result is really great, I believe we’re working very well. Right now, our rivals have made a significant step forward, but we’re very close. Franco struggled a lot during this weekend in the United States, but he improved greatly during the race. If he continues like this, we’ll see him back in the top positions.”
More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team bounce back to fifth in the Grand Prix of the United States. Francesco Bagnaia tenth.
The Ducati Lenovo Team tackled the final day of the Grand Prix of the United States at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas. Marc Márquez finished the race in fifth position, while Francesco Bagnaia was tenth at the flag.
Márquez got a great start from sixth place on the grid, moving up two positions. After dropping down to seventh, he then served his long-lap penalty and rejoined in eleventh. Marc then made his way back to fifth place, which he defended up to the finish line. Bagnaia stayed in touch with the group battling for the podium while maintaining a good pace, before starting to lose ground in the second half of the encounter. In the final stages, Pecco struggled with grip and eventually finished tenth.
As the third Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is fifth in the standings with 45 points. Francesco Bagnaia is ninth, 20 points behind his teammate. The Ducati Lenovo Team is fourth in the teams’ classification (70 points), while Ducati is second in the constructors’ championship (69 points).
The Ducati Lenovo Team will make its European debut of the season on April 24th, for the opening day of practice for the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto.
Marc Marquez (93) at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 5th: “Unfortunately we paid the price for yesterday’s mistake. A long-lap penalty in MotoGP, especially early on in the race, drops you down into the middle of the field. I wasn’t feeling comfortable in the first laps and I was close to making the same mistake again, but then as the grip faded I started to ride well and have fun, battling with several riders. We must keep in mind that this was only the third Grand Prix of a very long season, but we also have to admit that Bezzecchi, right now, is really fast. We have to keep inching closer to the front and focus on the small details, as we’re not missing much and I know I can do better than this.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63) at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 10th: “Already from the warm up, I didn’t have the same feeling, as I was struggling to carry the same speed into the corners as in previous days. I wasn’t fully comfortable at the start of the race: there was less rear grip, but I tried to manage it. I saw that Diggia was trying to bridge the gap to the leaders and I tried to stay with him, but then the grip got clearly worse. With four laps to go, I tried to push a bit harder in order to defend myself from Marc (Márquez) and Enea (Bastianini), but the final two laps were a nightmare: I had a near crash every time I leaned into the right-hand corners. Unfortunately, we can’t make the bike stop and turn the way we’d like, so we need to continue working in these areas.”
More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:
Bastianini charges through the pack to finish sixth at COTA.
The third round of the 2026 MotoGP™ World Championship has concluded in the United States, with the Circuit of the Americas delivering another action-packed weekend.
Under the hot Texan conditions, Enea Bastianini lined up 12th on the grid, determined to build on the positives from Saturday’s Sprint, where he claimed P3, and convert them into a strong Sunday result.
A solid launch allowed ‘La Bestia’ to gain positions in the opening laps, and the Italian soon found his way into 10th. Showing patience and control, Bastianini kept the riders ahead close while managing his tyres around the demanding COTA layout.
The race continued to unfold in Bastianini’s favour as a crash for Joan Mir promoted him to P8. Maintaining his strong pace, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider continued his attack and soon advanced into 7th after passing Álex Márquez.
In the closing stages, the #23 rider entered a nail-biting three-way battle for P5. Continuing to push until the chequered flag, Bastianini ultimately crossed the line in 6th, just behind Marc Márquez after a determined late-race charge.
The result marks a significant step forward for Bastianini and his second best weekend with the Tech3 team to date, highlighting improved race pace and growing confidence with the KTM RC16.
Enea Bastianini (23) at COTA. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “I am very happy with this result because it was not an easy race. At the start, I lost the rear in Turn 3 and then, after some contact, the airbag deployed, which made things difficult for a while. After that, I tried to find my pace lap by lap and close the gap to the riders in front.
“At the end, I caught Marc, and it was a hard fight because he was pushing a lot in the final laps. I tried to get closer out of Turn 11 to have a chance into Turn 12, but we were missing a bit of acceleration. Still, we were competitive under braking and that is a positive.
“We can be satisfied with this weekend. I made a mistake in Qualifying, which made the race more difficult, but it is good to be back fighting close to the front again. Now we must keep working and continue like this in Europe.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “We are very happy with our weekend in Austin. The team leaves with smiles on our faces, which is a real relief after two complicated races.
“I would like to congratulate Enea on the job he has done all weekend. It was great to see him enjoying the bike, building confidence, and delivering a strong race. He improved his pace and worked his way into the fight with Pecco [Bagnaia] and Marc Márquez, which was great to watch.
“P3 in the Sprint and P6 in the main race are positive results for us as we leave Austin. We now have a break, which will give Maverick time to recover from his shoulder surgery, and we hope to be back in great shape in Jerez.”
More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Team:
BK8 Gresini Racing Team scores points at the Americas GP.
RACEDAY
ALEX MARQUEZ 7th
FERMIN ALDEGUER 11th
Alex Marquez (73) and Enea Bastianini (23) at COTA. Photo courtesy BK8 Gresini Team.
Alex Marquez: “Today I made a few overtakes, so I’m a bit more satisfied compared to yesterday. It was the result I expected today; we didn’t have the pace to be among the best, and starting from the third row I couldn’t ask for more. We still scored points and brought home the best result possible. Right now we need to keep working and continue improving to reach the level of the front runners. With the factory bike it always takes a bit more time to get everything perfectly set up.”
Fermin Aldeguer (54) at COTA. Photo courtesy BK8 Gresini Team.
Fermin Aldeguer: “It was a complicated weekend and physically tough. In the sprint I already felt the lack of pace on a MotoGP bike, but we scored points and managed to race and finish all the races without crashing. Today was tough, a very long race, but we have to be satisfied. Last year, after three races, we didn’t have this many points.”
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Points keep coming for Marini in America.
Luca Marini produced a metronomic performance, attacking until the end for a last-minute ninth place at the Circuit of the Americas. Meanwhile teammate Joan Mir fell while chasing the top five at Round Three.
Another unpredictable Sunday was waiting for the MotoGP World Championship as the riders rolled onto the grid, the sun shinning but a wind whipping up around them. All eyes were on the critical first corner as lights went out.
Starting in 11th place, Luca Marini had extra work to do and found himself sandwiched between a KTM and a Gresini machine into the tight first corner of COTA after struggling off the line compared to Saturday. From here the race was a series of intense battles and passes until the #10 arrived on the edge of the top ten, settling in behind Raul Fernandez as the pace of the grid leveled out.
Seeing a fast-fading Bagnaia just ahead of him, Marini kept his rhythm until the very end to steal ninth place from the double MotoGP World Champion. A pair of point scoring finishes at the US GP moves Marini to tenth in the World Championship standings, five points behind 2025 MotoGP runner-up Alex Marquez. He leads Johann Zarco by ten points in the fight for top Honda.
Joan Mir’s Sunday followed a similar script to Saturday, the #36 starting well and locking horns with almost every Ducati on the grid. A well-saved moment early in the race sent him wide through the opening sector and earned him a Long Lap Penalty as a result. He would crash from the top ten before serving the penalty, fortunately avoiding any injury. With three points, Mir holds 19th in the World Championship standings.
After three races away from home, the Honda HRC Castrol team will now return to Europe and prepare for the Spanish GP, April 24 – 26 in Jerez. Three weeks of rest, recovery and development to arrive in the best position possible to continue the fight.
Luca Marini (10) at COTA. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Luca Marini:“Today was pretty straight forward, everything came from the start. I was already minus two positions, and I made a really bad start, which is very strange because the starts have been one of our strongest points on the Honda. It’s something we need to check because I lost some positions. The positive is I had some really nice battles further back as it was quite a chaotic race in the opening laps – it was fun, but when I arrived to Fernandez, the pace of everyone was very close. Today the wind changed direction, so it changed our braking points, I focused on hitting my marks and in the last lap I saw Bagnaia was not having an easy time. This race shows that the level of everyone has improved a lot and we still have work to do to break into that top eight.”
Joan Mir (36) at COTA. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Joan Mir:“A disappointing way to finish a weekend that had a lot of promise. I was in a position yesterday and today to attack, recover a lot on entry and see what was possible. When I am alone I can ride well and fast, in the slipstream with these bikes you have to risk twice as much to make up time. Finally the front went, we need to improve the rear to gain something more on corner exit because this can happen when you are riding the front so hard. I like knowing I have a chance, this is good and we have improved a lot compared to when I first started with Honda and I know that we can keep working together to improve more and more.”
More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira delivered a solid performance on Sunday at COTA, finishing 13th.
Starting from 14th on the grid, Moreira made an excellent start and quickly moved into contention for the top 10.
Tyre management and the track’s unique layout played a significant role, making the 20-lap race especially demanding.
In the closing stages, continuing to push while gaining experience, Moreira crossed the line in 13th position, securing points for the third consecutive time in just his third MotoGP race.
Diogo Moreira (11) at COTA. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Diogo Moreira 13th:“After not being able to understand my feeling in the Sprint due to the early retirement, today’s race was demanding, but I managed to finish, fight, and score points again. The past two weeks have been both enjoyable and challenging at times, but we are doing a good job and continuously improving. Thanks to everyone!”
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Another Challenging Race in Austin for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP with a Silver Lining. Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP endured another demanding race at COTA, but both riders showed resilience, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu scoring his first MotoGP point.
It was another tough race for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP at the Circuit of the Americas, as Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jack Miller — starting from 17th and 19th positions respectively — spent the race battling within a close group that included the other Yamaha riders.
Despite running toward the back of the field, both riders remained competitive within their group and, importantly, were able to complete the full race distance. This represents a small but meaningful step forward for both the riders and the development of the Yamaha YZR-M1.
The main positive of the day came from Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, who scored the first point of his MotoGP career. While the Turkish rider is clearly aiming for much stronger results, the achievement offers a degree of encouragement after a challenging start to the season and reflects an improving feeling with the bike.
Jack Miller also battled throughout the race and, in the closing laps, was able to make a move to gain another position, eventually crossing the finish line just behind his teammate.
Although the overall result does not yet match the team‘s ambitions, the race provided further valuable data and confirmed incremental progress as the development work continues.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (07) at COTA. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu:“Today was a very tough race for everyone, but I was pushing more than 100% because I really wanted to score my first point. In the end, I achieved it, and I‘m very happy.Another positive is that I‘m starting to enjoy riding the bike more during the race, and I‘m learning a lot. I followed Fabio for several laps and was able to understand more about his riding style and the track, which is very important for me at this stage. Race by race, weekend by weekend, we are improving, and that makes me happy. Of course, this is just the beginning — now the goal is to keep learning and start fighting for better results.We now have a few weeks before the next race, so I will continue training and come back ready to keep working, starting from Spain.”
Jack Miller (43) at COTA. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Jack Miller:“Overall, we made some steps forward over the weekend, and I‘m quite happy with the general set-up of the bike. There are still some areas, especially in the DNA of the bike, that we need to keep working on and refining, but for now we‘re doing the best we can with what we have. The important thing is that we‘re starting to understand the bike better and build a clearer direction for the future. We know there‘s still work to do, but we‘re staying focused and continuing to push the project forward. Now I‘m looking forward to getting back to Europe — having races closer together should help us keep the momentum, bring some updates, and continue developing in the right direction.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Manager:“Overall, it was a positive day. Of course, our ambitions are higher than this, but we all needed a bit of a morale boost and we‘re very happy for Toprak to have scored the first of what we hope will be many MotoGP points in his career. Jack also delivered a solid performance, and from the halfway point of the race both riders showed they had the pace to stay close to the top ten. That‘s an important indication for us.This is our starting point, and it‘s from here that we need to continue building. We know it won‘t be easy, but we‘ve already reduced the gap significantly compared to the first races. Now we have to keep our heads down, continue working, and bring the team and our riders closer to where they belong.”
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Tough Day At The Office for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP on Texas Race Day.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins struggled to make progress in the 20-lap Grand Prix of the United States Race. They finished in P17 and P18 respectively.
The Grand Prix of the United States Race didn’t play out as the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team had hoped. Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins took the chequered flag in 17th and 18th place respectively.
Quartararo launched from P16 and held this position for the majority of the 20-lap contest, though he briefly climbed up to P15 after Ai Ogura had a technical issue on lap 15. El Diablo was in the company of Toprak Razgatlíoğlu and focused on defending his position from him. El Diablo did so successfully until lap 18. Losing one more position to Jack Miller on the final lap, he finished in P17, 27.136s from first.
Starting from P21, Rins was not able to make up positions in the tight Turn 1 and settled at the back of the pack. He climbed up a position on lap 5 but had to relinquish it on lap 8, and afterwards it became a lonely ride for him. With three rivals unable to reach the finish line, Rins took the chequered flag in P18, 38.701s from the winner.
Today’s results put Quartaro in 17th place in the championship standings with 6 points. Rins is in 18th with 3 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are in 10th position in the team classifications, with 9 points, and Yamaha is fifth in the contructor rankings with 9 points.
The team will enjoy three weeks off before travelling to Jerez for the Grand Prix of Spain, held from 24–26 April.
Fabio Quartararo (20) and Brad Binder (33) at COTA. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo:“I didn’t expect the tyres to drop like that at the end. I was managing the tyres, but they still dropped in the last five laps. Yamaha knows what we need and what we need to do. Toprak impressed me all weekend, though. The way he rides is really smooth and very much his style, like we’ve seen in WorldSBK – it’s good.”
Alex Rins (42) at COTA. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Alex Rins:“We had an electronic issue in today’s race that was affecting the bike. In the beginning I was feeling good. I was in front of Miller, and I was going to catch Toprak. But on lap 8, I started to encounter an issue, and that’s it. It was quite tough to manage.”
Massimo Meregalli:“All in all, it’s been a tough race weekend. I don’t want to say that ‘it’s a GP to forget’ because we need to learn from the difficulties we faced. We knew before coming here that COTA is one of the tracks that highlight our areas of improvement. Following the Sprint and the Race, we now have data with the new bike that we can analyse. While these are not ‘fun’ races for the riders or our team, they are crucial for future bike development. We will use the three weeks leading up to the Spanish GP to regroup and prepare, so we can give it our all again in Jerez.”
More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR:
Castrol Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco endured a difficult Sunday at COTA, crashing at the early stages of the race.
Starting from 15th on the grid and determined to fight for points, Zarco made a strong launch.
However, on lap two, he suffered a crash at Turn 9 due to another rider’s mistake.
Despite the incident, the Frenchman was able to rejoin the race, gathering valuable data and riding on strong laptimes, ultimately retiring at the end of the race.
Johann Zarco (5) at COTA. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Johann Zarco DNF:“Another rider went to the inside of a rival in Turn 8, and this one had to go wide. I was feeling well and doing a good job, but due to that situation, I had to go in knowing we needed to change direction. He tried to come back, and at the moment of contact my bike fell in Turn 9. It was a racing incident, I don’t complain, these things happen. It was a consequence of what happened at that moment. In any case, I was feeling good and we could have taken a solid result. I decided to continue to gather information, and I was able to be fast even though we were far behind, so it was useful to understand many things.”
More from a press release issued by ELF Marc VDS:
Aron Canet takes solid points for 13th place in a shortened Moto2 race, while Deniz Öncü was 20th.
After an overcast Saturday, the sun returned to Austin on Sunday with the third Moto2 race of 2026 taking place in perfect conditions and ambient temperatures of 25 degrees.
The Moto2 race was red flagged two laps in after a 7-rider collision at Turn. The restart was held over the shortened distance of 10 laps, rather than 16.
A strong crowd was in attendance at the spectacular Circuit of the Americas on Sunday with the main grandstand close to being full.
Aron Canet (44) and Deniz Öncü (53) at COTA. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Team.
Having made excellent improvements on Saturday, Aron was confident starting Sunday. He made a solid getaway in the restart. After losing two places on lap 2, he climbed as high as 11th on lap 6.
The Spaniard was pushed back to 13th on the closing lap, but this was the best feeling he had found so far this year. This should be a solid platform to achieve good results back in Europe.
This result puts Aron 16th in the championship standings with 5.5 points.
Aron Canet:“I’m super happy. This was the best race of the year so far. It’s not the result that I want. It’s not the result that the team wants. But for me I know we need to make improvements step by step and everything won’t come immediately. We have to keep working at it as this weekend I could feel we were getting closer. I’m really happy because we understood many things this weekend and we’ve found a good direction to work in. Let’s try and continue on this line at Jerez.”
Deniz Öncü (53) on the grid at COTA. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Team.
Deniz’s task for the day was made difficult when he crashed on the exit of Turn 11 on the sighting lap of the restart. Thankfully, he was able to remount and make the second start.
After that the Turkish rider struggled to find his best rhythm over the ten laps. But he collected important experience in Austin that will serve him well from the next round in Spain.
This result leaves Deniz 17th in the championship standings with 3.5 points.
Deniz Öncü:“We’ve finished this American GP. It wasn’t an easy weekend for me. But we’ve tried a lot of things to improve my feeling. Today, before the race start, I had a highside on the sighting lap. I still managed to come to the grid and I just made the race start. I can’t say it was a positive weekend. But we tried many things. Also, it looks like we have some ideas to follow at the next round at Jerez. We’ve never been too down, even if this weekend didn’t go as planned. We’ll stay strong and I’ll keep pushing, keep working and make sure I’m fully ready for Jerez.”
More from a press release issued by MT Helmets:
Danish fights back to gain 12 positions and score points in Austin.
The World Championship headed to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin for the United States Grand Prix, the third round of the calendar after Thailand and Brazil.
The AEON Credit MT Helmets–MSi riders were unable to shine in Saturday’s sessions and had to start the race from the back of the grid.
Ryusei Yamanaka started from the seventh row, while Hakim Danish lined up last after a crash in Q1 prevented him from fighting for a place in Q2.
The race was held in dry conditions, with strong winds playing a role in the moments leading up to the start. In this context, Hakim Danish made a strong start, gaining five positions on the opening lap. The Malaysian rider maintained a consistent pace, allowing him to steadily move forward and cross the finish line in 13th place, scoring further points in his rookie Moto3 season.
Meanwhile, Ryusei Yamanaka finished 18th in a race where starting positions proved decisive and limited the Japanese rider’s chances of progressing through the field.
The World Championship now heads into a three-week break before the start of the European leg. The next round will be the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, from April 24 to 26.
Hakim Danish (13) at COTA. Photo courtesy MT Helmets.
Hakim Danish:“I had a heavy crash in qualifying and had to start from the back of the grid, which affected the entire race. Even so, I didn’t give up and managed to gain several positions, especially in the opening laps. It was a demanding race, particularly in terms of tyre management on such a technical circuit. Overall, I’ve learned a lot this weekend.”
Ryusei Yamanaka (6) at COTA. Photo courtesy MT Helmets.
Ryusei Yamanaka: “It was a difficult weekend overall. We couldn’t find the feeling we were looking for, and that affected both our qualifying and race performance. Now it’s time to reset and prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix, at a track I really like and where I hope to take a step forward.”
Factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi made up for his mistake in the Saturday Sprint race in the best possible way on Sunday, leading from lights to flag and setting records along the way. Bezzecchi has now won five straight Grand Prix races, joining an elite club of five-in-a-row Grand Prix winners. Aprilia has gone 1-2 in the last two Grand Prix races, a new mark for the company. And Bezzecchi re-took the Championship points lead. Teammate Jorge Martin, who finished second, has been on the last four podiums (counting Sprint and Grand Prix races) and is in second, four points behind Bezzecchi in the Championship points.
Jorge Martin (89). Photo by Michael Gougis.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta was again the best of the non-Aprilia rest, taking his second podium of the year. Acosta sits third in the points, with 60, behind Bezzecchi with 81 and Martin with 77.
Pedro Acosta. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Fabio Di Giannantonio was the top-finishing Ducati rider, but the Pertamina Enduro VR46 star could do no better than fourth and was fortunate to finish that high, as Trackhouse Racing’s Ai Ogura had passed him and was pulling away when Ogura’s Aprilia broke.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Ducati’s Marc Marquez started his day sitting outside of the medical office next to COTA’s media center, alone and in the dark. He served a long-lap penalty and finished fifth after a battle with Enea Bastianini.
Marc Marquez (93). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Fermin Aldeguer finished the weekend with a 10th place in the Sprint race and 11th in the Grand Prix race. It was remarkable considering that the Gresini Ducati rider is still walking with a cane as he recovers from a broken leg suffered in pre-season testing.
Fermin Aldeguer. Photo by Michael Gougis.
A seven-rider pileup forced officials to red-flag the Moto2 race. Senna Agius took the win in the restarted 10-lap sprint. American Joe Roberts, one of the riders involved in the multi-bike crash, took the restart and finished ninth.
Senna Agius (81). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Joe Roberts (16) was caught up in the first-lap crash that caused the Moto2 race to be red flagged. He finished ninth. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Guido Pini came out on top of a four-rider last-corner scramble and took the Moto3 race win. He became the first Italian rider to win a Moto3 race since Dennis Foggia in 2022.
Guido Pini (94). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Oscar Gutierrez won the second Harley-Davidson World Bagger Cup race of the weekend, rebounding from his last-place finish in Saturday’s race.
Oscar Gutierrez (99). Photo by Michael Gougis.
The main grandstands as seen on Sunday at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Ducati had no answer for the pace of the factory Aprilia machines and riders. So far this season, Ducati has had only four podiums in six Sprint and Grand Prix races and the highest ranking Ducati rider is Fabio Di Giannantonio in fourth, 31 points out of the lead. After the Sprint race, Alex Marquez, who is riding a current-spec Ducati for the first time in his career, estimated that he was only getting 80% out of the 2026 Ducati, and that it still needed development.
Luigi “Gigi” Dall’Igna. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, left, chats with KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister on the grid for the Sprint race, on Saturday at Circuit of The Americas.
Yamaha’s struggles continued at COTA, with the four YZR-M1s mired at the back of the field in a pack. Here Fabio Quartararo (20) leads Toprak Razgatlioglu (07), Alex Rins (42) and Jack Miller (43). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Marco Bezzecchi (72), Pedro Acosta (37), Marc Marquez (93), Fabio Di Giannantonio (49) and Francesco Bagnaia (63) during the MotoGP Race at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Circuit of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Italian rider won the 20-lap race by 2.036 seconds.
Bezzecchi is the first rider to win five consecutive Grands Prix when leading every lap in the modern area.
His teammate and Sprint race winner, Jorge Martin, was the runner-up.
Pedro Acosta placed third on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.
Pole-sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio crossed the finish line fourth on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Seven-time MotoGP World Champion, Marc Marquez, took fifth on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Marco Bezzecchi leads the championship with 81 points, 4 ahead of Jorge Martin who has 77 points. Pedro Acosta is third with 60 points.
Record-breaker Bezzecchi claims COTA crown with Sunday stunner. Martin makes it an Aprilia 1-2 in Austin, Acosta joins the Noale duo on the podium as Marc Marquez claims P5 following his Long Lap penalty.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) just can’t stop breaking records. The #72 has won an incredible fifth Grand Prix in a row, only the third Italian rider ever to do it, and has won the first three GPs of a season for the first time since Marc Marquez did it in 2014. It was also an Aprilia 1-2 for the second time in succession as Jorge Martin followed up Tissot Sprint Gold with a Sunday podium, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking third.
Acosta got an almighty launch off the front row for the holeshot, with Bezzecchi also steaming forwards to take over in second. Even more so Martin as he shot up into third. Early drama then saw Acosta deep into Turn 11, with Bezzecchi cutting up the inside on the tighter line. On the exit the two were side-by-side and the two bashed fairings – with a piece of Aprilia breaking off and flying off behind them. Bez retained the lead following that, with Acosta recovering quickly despite the bash and Martin hovering third too.
Marc Marquez (93), Francesco Bagnaia (63) and Enea Bastianini (23) during the MotoGP race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Behind, it was all heating up in the group. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) vs Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) first, with the yellow machine ahead, before Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was then also able to pick his way past the #93 – followed swiftly by Honda HRC Castrol’s Joan Mir.
By then, it was new record time: crossing the line ahead for each lap until the start of Lap 4, Bezzecchi has officially led more consecutive Grand Prix laps than anyone else in the modern era. The previous record was 103 held by Jorge Lorenzo in 2015, Lap 4 in COTA made it 104 for Bezzecchi.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez was out of the heat of battle and into the Long Lap area. The #93 had the penalty for his incidentB with Di Giannantonio in the Sprint, and he completed that with no drama. Then Mir was given a Long Lap for a shortcut taken when in the heat of that battle for fourth, but the #36 crashed out not long after.
Meanwhile at the front, Martin had made one luge on Acosta for second and been denied, and a couple of laps later had a huge moment at Turn 1. He saved it but dropped back into the clutches of Diggia, with Bagnaia also homing in on the back of the #49.
At half race distance, it was Bez leading Acosta by around a second, with Martin, Diggia and Bagnaia close behind. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) had attacked Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) for sixth, with Sprint podium finisher Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) on their tail. Marc Marquez was down in P9 after his Long Lap, not making many inroads into the #23 ahead.
Ogura and Bastianini were the riders on the move. Ogura was homing in on Bagnaia and Bastianini on Alex Marquez. By Lap 12, the American Flag-liveried Trackhouse machine of Ogura was past Bagnaia in brutal but clean style. Next target: Diggia. The Japanese rider sliced up the inside at Turn 12, another brutal but clean move.
Just after that, Acosta had a moment at Turn 1 – wide or looking for a bike to follow for tyre pressure? Martin was able to just sweep past the KTM, making it an Aprilia 1-2, with Ogura on the march too.
MotoGP Race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Meanwhile in the fight for sixth, the Bagnaia – Bastianini – Alex Marquez – Marc Marquez quartet was heating up, and drama hit for Ogura. As Marc Marquez elbowed past Alex Marquez and then past Bastianini to tag onto the back of Bagnaia, Ogura was slowing and pulling over out of the group’s way – a technical issue putting paid to his incredible charge.
Bagnaia vs Marc Marquez was then game on for fifth – but not according to Bastianiani. The #23 attacked Marquez first instead of took sixth. The #93 responded. Bastianini wasn’t done, sending it at the end of the back straight. Marquez got him on the cutback. It settled briefly before Marquez attacked Bagnaia, and Bastianini barreled straight through to follow the #93.
Meanwhile at the front, Bezzecchi was just about keeping enough in hand over Martin, and onto the last lap he eked it out to cross the line 1.7 seconds clear. He extended that lap-leading run to an even bigger record of 121 and becomes only the third Italian rider ever to win five in a row after Hall of Famers Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini. He’s also the first rider to win the first three GPs of the season since Marc Marquez did it in 2014.
Jorge Martin (left) and Marco Bezzecchi (right) in the parc fermé after the MotoGP race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Martin makes it an Aprilia 1-2, the first time the factory has achieved that twice in a row, and only just loses that Championship lead gained with his Sprint Gold medal. Acosta held on to third place for a podium on Sunday to add a trophy to replace the medal lost on Saturday.
Diggia takes fourth, in an ultimately lonely ride to the flag but comes home as top Ducati. Marc Marquez did hold on to fifth ahead of Bastianini – just – with Alex Marquez taking P7. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP team) slots into eighth, with he and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) getting past Bagnaia late on.
After a dramatic weekend in Texas, the grid now has time to recharge and reload for Jerez. The Spanish GP is in a few weeks, so come back for more as MotoGP heads over to Europe for another classic race weekend – with Aprilia very much in control in the title fight.
Barry Baltus (7), Alonso Lopez (21), Senna Agius (81), Izan Guevara (28),Celestino Vietti (13), Manuel Gonzalez (18) and Alex Escrig (11) during the Moto2 race at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Senna Agius won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex on Pirelli control tires, Agius won the 10-lap race by 0.497 second.
The race was red-flagged following a crash involving multiple riders and was subsequently reduced from 16 laps to 10.
Celestino Vietti was the runner-up on his HDR SpeedRS Boscoscuro.
Izan Guevara was a close third on his Blu Cru Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro.
David Alonso finished fourth on his CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Kalex.
Agius’ teammate and championship point leader, Manuel Gonzalez took fifth.
American Joe Roberts finished Sunday’s race in 9th on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Manuel Gonzalez leads the championship with 39.5 points, 3.5 ahead of Izan Guevara who has 36 points. Daniel Holgado is third with 33 points.
Agius fends off Vietti for Moto2 honours at COTA. The Australian got the job done during a red-flagged Grand Prix in the USA.
Having had a difficult opening couple of rounds, Senna Agius (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) put in a determined ride to take a third career victory in Moto2. The #81 resisted a late charge from Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) with the #13 taking a first podium of the season whilst the rostrum was completed by Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2).
The holeshot honours went to Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) but all eyes were behind as a collision at Turn 1 ended Championship leader Daniel Holgado’s (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) and Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) Grand Prix. However, there was then a big incident at Turn 11 on the opening lap involving Filip Salac (OnlyFans American Racing Team), Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR – GALFER – MSI), David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Sergio Garcia (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) and Alberto Ferrandez (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), bringing out the red flag. All riders were reported conscious and the Grand Prix restarted for 10 laps – all riders who crashed were eligible to restart but Piqueras and Ferrandez were taken to the medical centre.
Ahead of the restart, a raft of contenders were handed Long Lap Penalties – Holgado for causing a crash at Turn 1 whilst Muñoz and Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing) for unsafe changes of direction from the original start. Elsewhere, Deniz Öncü (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed on the sighting lap but did start. On the restart itself, Lopez grabbed the holeshot before Baltus came through on him at Turn 13 but still had to serve his Long Lap Penalty. Behind, Agius made his move to get into P2 ahead of Lopez before pouncing on leader Baltus on Lap 3 into Turn 12.
Onto Lap 4, Vietti was on the charge and having dispatched of Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), he got ahead of Lopez at Turn 1, the Spaniard now dropping back. On Lap 5, Baltus briefly took the lead back at Turn 12 on Agius but then came into serve his LLP, slotting back into P7 and just ahead of Alonso, with the Colombian soon getting ahead of the Belgian before he also got ahead of Lopez and was now sitting in fifth with four to go. A lap later at Turn 1, the #80 got into fourth, a stunning comeback from 17th on the grid.
Back at the front and Vietti took over at the front on the run down the 1.2km backstraight, only for Agius to attempt to respond at Turn 19 but he was unable to make it stick. Two laps to go, the gloves had come off as Agius pulled a bold move to hit the front going into Turn 3 and then the Australian pulled the pin to start the final lap of the Grand Prix. Despite a mega final lap from Vietti, it was Agius who took an emotional third career victory ahead of the Italian, whilst Guevara put in a cracking performance to bag a second podium of 2026 in P3.
17th to fourth, a fine Sunday for Alonso whilst Gonzalez was a solid fifth, enough to assume the Championship lead. After his Long Lap Penalty, Baltus was sixth ahead of Lopez whilst Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) fended off home-hero Roberts for eighth, with the #16 restarting to get his best result of the season whilst it was Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) rounded out the top ten.
Next stop, the European tour begins! Moto2 returns to Jerez!
Alvaro Carpe (83), Valentin Perrone (73), Maximo Quiles (28), Adrian Fernandez (31) and Joel Esteban (78) during the Moto3 race at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Guido Pini won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Using his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda, the Italian rider won the 14-lap race by just 0.056 second, making it his first Moto3 victory.
Maximo Quiles was the runner-up on his CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team KTM.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe was third, just 0.254 second behind race winner Pini.
Valentin Perrone crossed the finish line fourth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine and Pini’s teammate, Adrian Fernandez got fifth.
Maximo Quiles leads the championship with 65 points, 23 ahead of Alvaro Carpe who has 42 points. Valentin Perrone is third with 38 points.
Pini pockets last corner win in Moto3 COTA classic. The Italian takes his maiden victory as the podium fight delivers a show to remember – right to the wire.
Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) is a Moto3 Grand Prix winner! The Italian came out on top in final corner fisticuffs at COTA, claiming victory by just 0.056. Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) took second, with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the podium after his final corner attack on Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) saw both head wide and lose out on a 1-2.
Carpe took the holeshot from pole ahead of Perrone, with Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) losing out off the start as Quiles went full send into Turn 1 and grabbed third. The two orange machines were streaking away in the lead early doors, but Quiles got the hammer down to tag back on, with the Leopard Racing duo of Pini and Adrian Fernandez next up the road.
Guido Pini in the parc fermé after chis victory at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP
After it had been a seven-rider fight early doors, Joel Esteban (LEVELUP – MTA) and Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) were out of that with 10 to go as Pratama crashed out and Esteban couldn’t avoid the bike. Both riders were ok but the group was down to five before Fernandez started to fade, leaving four riders fighting for three places on the podium.
By three to go, the gloves started to come off. Pini attacked Quiles at Turn 11 and got the lead momentarily before being denied and then tried again at Turn 12 – this time hooking it up and keeping it. With that shuffle at the front, Carpe was right back in it and the four-rider fight really started to heat up.
Onto the last lap, Perrone led Pini, but Carpe slotted into second early doors. Pini then lost out to Quiles at Turn 11, with the long back straight seeing everyone absolutely pinned – but it was Carpe who led out of 12. Then Perrone attacked at 13, Carpe repaid him through 17-18, Perrone was back through in style at Turn 19 and Carpe took it back again a corner later. But it all went down to the final corner.
Carpe went for the win and sliced up the inside, with Perrone pushed out wide and the #83 only just keeping it on track too. The door was open for the duo behind them, and neither Pini nor Quiles needed a second invitation. In their drag race to the line, Pini took it by 0.056, with Quiles second and Carpe holding on to third. Perrone, after a stunning race, was forced to settle for fourth.
Fernandez took fifth, with a huge fight behind going to the wire too. Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power) took P6 right at the line as rookie Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) got bumped aside at the finish line, allowing fellow rookie Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to just steal P7 too. Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP – MTA) took ninth ahead of Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), with compatriot Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – Mlav Racing) just missing out on the top ten but taking his best Moto3 finish yet. Front row starter O’Gorman crashed out from that group.
Moto3 race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP
Check out full results from Moto3 at the Red Bull US GP here. Now we wait for the Spanish GP with a few weekends off – chance for the field to recharge and come back out swinging on turf that’s much more familiar for many. Will the order shuffle again? Join us in Jerez to find out!
Archie Mcdonald (69), Eric Granado (51), Jake Lewis (85) and Oscar Gutierrez (99) during the Bagger World Cup Race 2 at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Oscar Gutierrez won the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Race Two Sunday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Niti Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Spaniard won the 7-lap race by 3.020 seconds.
Eric Granado was the runner-up on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson and his teammate, Archie Mcdonald finished third.
Archie Macdonald crossed the finish line in 2nd place but received a three-second penalty for failing to comply with the long lap penalty after exceeding track limits.
Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Jake Lewis was 4th, Cory West finished the race in 6th and Travis Wyman suffered technical issues on his bike.
Cody Wyman did not start the race on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson.
Archie McDonald leads the championship with 41 points, 8 ahead of Oscar Gutierrez who has 33 points. Jake Lewis is third with 33 points.
More from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
Two winners, intense battles and history made at Bagger World Cup Opener in Austin.
AUSTIN, Texas — The opening round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup delivered intense on-track battles and dramatic moments at the Circuit of the Americas, as the new global championship in partnership with MotoGP™ officially came to life alongside the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of the Americas.
Both the races of the weekend were fought until the final laps, producing the first two winners in the history of the category. Archie McDonald (Joe Rascal Racing) claimed victory in Race 1 on Saturday, while Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing) secured the win in Race 2 on Sunday.
Race 1:
At the start of the first race in championship history, young Australian Archie McDonald launched perfectly from the grid, getting the better of teammate Eric Granado, who had secured pole position in qualifying with a lap time of 2:12.387. The battle between the two intensified at mid-race, with Granado taking the lead after a mistake from McDonald. However, the Australian responded shortly after, reclaiming the position when Granado lost the front under braking and dropped back through the field. Jake Lewis (Saddlemen Race Development) delivered a strong and consistent ride to take second place, showcasing experience and control across the race distance, while Filippo Rovelli (ParkinGO Team) secured third with a composed and disciplined performance to round out the podium.
Race 2:
McDonald and Granado were once again protagonists at the start of Race 2, with the Australian repeating his strong launch off the line. The two Joe Rascal Racing riders immediately set a fast pace, but were unable to break away from Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing), who steadily increased his rhythm lap after lap. The Spanish rider closed the gap and executed two clean overtakes to take the lead, going on to secure victory at the checkered flag. On lap five, Gutiérrez also set a new benchmark for the category at the Austin circuit with a time of 2:12.348, establishing both the race lap record and the all-time lap record for the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup at Circuit of the Americas. Second at the finish line was Archie McDonald, but a three-second penalty for failing to complete the prescribed Long Lap after twice exceeding track limits dropped the Australian to third in the final classification, promoting Eric Granado to second.
Jeffrey Schuessler – Director of Global Racing Programs, Harley-Davidson: “This weekend delivered exactly what we set out to build. Close racing, battles decided in the final laps, and riders pushing these machines to the limit from the very start. The level of competition showed up immediately, and that’s a strong indication of where this championship is headed. We also saw different riding styles coming together on track, with riders finding their own way to be fast on these bikes. That created some really interesting race dynamics and showed how competitive and adaptable this grid already is from the first round. What’s been especially powerful is the global nature of the championship, with riders and teams from different parts of the world coming together to be part of something new. That’s a significant step forward for the series. And then there’s the emotion. You feel it in the sound, the torque, and the presence of these bikes on track. It’s raw, it’s different, and it’s real. This is not just racing. We’re building something new here, a global platform that brings a different kind of energy to the MotoGP stage and connects with fans in a way that is authentic to Harley-Davidson.”
Archie McDonald – Joe Rascal Racing – Race 1 Winner: “History. That’s the first word that comes to my mind. It was the first race in the history of the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, and I took the first win, hopefully the first of many. I’m really happy. There has been a lot of preparation behind this project, from myself, the team and Harley-Davidson, so this result feels amazing. I had a strong start, even if leading early wasn’t ideal. Granado passed me after a mistake, I stayed with him, and then he made a mistake and I took the lead again. My plan was to wait until the final laps to make a move, but in the end I didn’t need to. I’m sorry about Eric’s crash, as it’s not the way I wanted to win, but I’m still enjoying the moment. I’m really proud of my team and Harley-Davidson for making history with me, and I thank them all.”
Oscar Gutiérrez – Niti Racing –Race 2 Winner: “I’m very happy with this win. We did a great job regaining our focus after Race 1, and this was the best way to finish the Austin weekend. Already this morning I felt we had the potential to do it. I had a great feeling with the bike from the sighting lap and told my team that today was the right day. During the race I took my time to study Archie and Eric in front of me and understand where I could attack them. Then there was a moment when I clearly felt stronger, so I decided to increase the pace and make my moves. It’s a great victory, but we need to keep working well because the championship may look short, but it is still long with many races to go. We are already looking ahead to Mugello and continuing on this path. One area where I still need to improve is the start. At the beginning of the race I had to push to recover because McDonald and Granado started very strong. But I knew that if I stayed calm I could come back, and that’s what I did. I stayed patient for a couple of laps, then when I felt I had more pace I made the overtakes and in the end took a win that makes me very happy.”
Following the opening round, Archie McDonald leads the championship standings with 41 points, ahead of Oscar Gutiérrez and Jake Lewis, both on 33 points.
Championship Standings:
Archie McDonald (AUS) – 41 (25 / 16)
Oscar Gutiérrez (SPA) – 33 (8 / 25)
Jake Lewis (USA) – 33 (20 / 13)
Eric Granado (BRA) – 30 (10 / 20)
Filippo Rovelli (ITA) – 27 (16 / 11)
Cory West (USA) – 23 (13 / 10)
Travis Wyman (USA) – 11 (11 / -)
Cody Wyman (USA) – 9 (9 / -)
Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA) – 9 (- / 9)
The next round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup will take place at the Mugello International Circuit during the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of Italy, from May 29–31.
The Monster Energy Supercross Championship made its return to the "Motor City" for the 11th race of the season inside Ford Field. Photo courtesy SMX
DETROIT – A common adage in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship has long been that anything can happen at any given moment, and that sentiment reigned true during Round 11 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship inside Ford Field. An exceptionally challenging racetrack, anchored by the most treacherous and demanding whoop section of the season, pushed the most talented racers on the planet to the limit and ultimately resulted in a dramatic shakeup of the 450SMX Class title fight as Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen enjoyed a dominant performance for the landmark 25th victory of his career.
Ken Roczen’s Dominant Victory Headlines Wild Night in Detroit as Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight Shakes Up.
The 20 Minute + 1 Lap 450SMX Class Main Event kicked off with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado capturing his fifth holeshot of the season ahead of Roczen and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton, who made his return to action after missing three races. Championship leader Hunter Lawrence started deep inside the top 10 aboard his Honda HRC Progressive machine, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, second in points, started outside the top 10. Back up front, Prado was able to fend off heavy pressure from Roczen for several laps, but the German native seized control of the race lead just a few minutes into the action. Prado then battled briefly with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, the reigning Supercross champion, but the two came together and went down, which dropped them deep in the field.
Roczen quickly built a multi-second lead over Sexton, who moved into second, while Lawrence overcame one of his worst starts of the season to claw his way up to third. The top three settled in through the middle portion of the Main Event, with each finding a consistent rhythm that kept the lead trio within three seconds of each other. Just before the halfway point of the moto, when both Sexton and Lawrence had made inroads on Roczen’s lead, Lawrence crashed hard exiting the whoops. He remounted but was forced to have his bike attended to in the mechanics area, which lost him a lap.
Roczen extended his lead once more to end the threat from Sexton, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart moved into third ahead of Tomac. Roczen continued to pull away and easily took home his second win of the season in his 173rd career start by a margin of 7.7 seconds over Sexton. Stewart broke through with his first podium result of the season in third, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper in fourth, ahead of Tomac in fifth. Lawrence, meanwhile, soldiered through another fall to salvage 18th place.
A dramatic shakeup in the championship has moved Tomac back atop standings for the first time since the fourth race of the season, as he now holds a four-point lead over Lawrence with six races remaining. Roczen’s win moved him to within 14 points of the lead to establish a three-rider battle for the championship’s stretch run.
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen captured a milestone 25th victory in his 173rd career start amidst a shakeup in the title fight. Photo courtesy SMX
Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class:
“I don’t know what to say, but this is exactly what I was talking about [people overlooking my ability to win]. This was a tough Main Event. I was definitely not the fastest in the beginning. I was playing a little bit with the track. I knew they were gaining on me, so I switched up my rhythms slightly. It was tough, because I wasn’t necessarily lighting the world on fire [with my speed] but the track was so tough. The whoops were a 50-50 chance you were going to make it through or end up on your back. I am so excited, you have no idea. We closed up some points, but we still have a lot of racing to go.”
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton captured an impressive runner-up finish in his first race back from a recent injury that sidelined him for a month. Photo courtesy SMX
Chase Sexton – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class:
“Those weeks at home watching the races, there were some dark times. Obviously, I didn’t want to get injured and didn’t want to sit on the couch, but I wanted to come back when I was ready. I felt pretty good tonight, but I also felt that couch about 10 minutes into the Main Event. I felt good in the beginning and got a little tight and a little winded. We’ll go back to work but definitely a great start to the comeback. It’s been a long year for the team and me, but we want to go up from here.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart broke through with his first podium finish of the season during his best outing of the year. Photo courtesy SMX
Malcolm Stewart – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class:
“It’s been tough [this season]. I had an unfortunate situation in Anaheim [getting injured at the first race]. I kind of just felt like I didn’t know if I’d get on the podium [this season]. That’s partly just not believing in yourself, and I realized I need to pull myself out of that. I want to give it up to my team, they’ve been in my ear all season telling me I can do this. I told them we’d pop some champagne before the end of the season, so huge shout out to them.”
450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Chase Sexton, Ken Roczen, and Malcolm Stewart. Photo courtesy SMX
Eli Tomac – 5th Place – 450SMX Class Points Leader:
“Of course, I saw Hunter’s [Lawrence] crash and knew I was going to take advantage of that once I saw him a lap down, but overall, a bit of a frustrating day here. I’ve actually struggled here my past couple rides. I don’t know what it is. I haven’t had the best success at Detroit lately. Maybe I’ve been in kind of a midseason slump. We’ll do what we can to get better, improve, and get back to winning some races and be up at the front.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac regained control of the points lead following a fifth-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence suffered two crashes in the Main Event and finished a lap down in 18th to lose control of the championship lead. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies Storms to Third Straight 250SMX Class Win
The fifth 15 Minute + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event of the season started with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher leading the field to the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda. Behind them, championship leader Cole Davies was mired in 15th place aboard his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine. Thrasher held onto the lead for a couple laps but then crashed out of contention in the whoops, which handed the lead to Hammaker. As the Kawasaki rider asserted his hold of the top spot over Shimoda, Davies was on a torrid march to the front. Thanks to an unparalleled level of speed through a challenging whoops section, the New Zealander easily broke into the top 10 and soon found his way into the top five before the halfway point. From there, Davies charged into podium position and made quick work of a pass by Shimoda to move into second place. He then proceeded to erase a four second deficit to Hammaker and fittingly made the winning pass coming out of the whoops with just under six minutes to go. From there, Davies checked out on the field. Hammaker easily held onto second, while Shimoda was forced to contend with ClubMX Yamaha’s Coty Schock, who initially got by his Japanese counterpart for a spot on the podium, only to give it back after a crash in the whoops.
Davies completed an incredible come-from-behind performance by a margin of 12.1 seconds over Hammaker for a third straight Main Event victory, while Shimoda rounded out the podium in third.
With his third consecutive win, Davies extended his lead in the championship standings to nine points over Hammaker, with Shimoda sitting 14 points back in third.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies overcame a start outside the top 10 to capture an impressive come-from-behind victory, his third in-a-row. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“When I don’t perform, I’m pretty hard on myself. Me, my family, and all the people around me put in so much hard work, so when I don’t perform like I know I can I’m pretty hard on myself. But I’m stoked with that Main Event. I know that’s how I can ride. I just put everything together well. I didn’t have a good start, but I made it happen, so I’m stoked with that.”
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker took advantage of a great start to lead laps and bring home a runner-up finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Seth Hammaker – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“That was a tough race. I got myself off to a pretty good start and was riding okay in the beginning. I knew Cole [Davies] was in the back of the pack but man, he was riding good. Gotta give it up to him. A solid second on the night. I’ve learned from the past not to throw the races away that aren’t there for me. I want to win more than anybody, but you’ve got to know when to pull back and second is what we had tonight.”
Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda battled hard to capture a third-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Jo Shimoda – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“Honestly, I was just so bad all day. I just couldn’t figure it out. I just have to do better. Nothing was really good for me today, so I’m sorry to my team. We tested all week and I think we’re stepping in the right direction, so we’ve got to keep chasing. We’ll see next weekend.”
Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Seth Hammaker, Cole Davies, and Jo Shimoda. Photo courtesy SMX
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 4, with Round 12 from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis for the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross honoring the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the fight against childhood cancer. Live broadcast coverage on Peacock will begin at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).
All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at Supermotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Iker Lecuona (7) and Miguel Oliveira (88) during the WSBK Race 2 at Portimao. Photo courtesy WorldSBK
Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday afternoon at Portimao, in Portugal. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 1.967-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Miguel Oliveira rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and Sam Lowes got fifth on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 7th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff crashed his Kawasaki ZX-10RR on turn 15.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 124 points, 56 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 68 points. Axel Bassani is third with 60 points.
PORTIMAO PERFECTION: Bulega secures hat-trick on the rollercoaster ahead of Lecuona, Oliveira secures P3. The #11 made it two hat-tricks to start the 2026 season as he beat his teammate and home hero Oliveira.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a hat-trick at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve as his perfect start to the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season continued. He defeated teammate Iker Lecuona for the third time this weekend while home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will also leave the Pirelli Portuguese Round with three trophies after a third P3 finish.
HAT-TRICK HERO: Bulega’s winning run hits double figures
Bulega made it three holeshots for the weekend as he leapt off the grid to maintain P1, being trailed by Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and, before the #88 got ahead of the #22 at Turn 3 on Lap 2. Iker Lecuona made a slow start again but was back in the rostrum places when he got ahead of Alex Lowes at Turn 1 on Lap 3. A lap later and the #7 passed Oliveira for second at Turn 1 despite the Portuguese rider’s efforts to hang it around the outside at the right-hand corner. While Bulega and Lowes were pulling clear of Oliveira, the #88 had to defend from Alex Lowes in the final six laps of the race but dug deep as he secured his third P3 finish at his home round. Bulega’s winning streak is now 10 races and it’s the best start to a season since Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) won 11 races in a row in 2019. With Lecuona’s P2, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati become the first team to take three 1-2 finishes in a weekend; they were also 1-2 in Tissot Superpole.
ALEX AHEAD OF SAM: The twin brothers close together on track
With the British rider unable to pass Oliveira, despite finishing only 0.169s behind the BMW star, he had to settle for P4 ahead of twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), who finished P5 for the fifth time this season; when he has seen the chequered flag in 2026, he has finished in this position. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) finished in sixth after fighting up the order, five seconds behind the #14 directly ahead.
COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: Petrucci defeats Bassani in late-race fight
Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had his strongest race of the weekend as he finished in P7 after a late-race battle with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team). The #9 got ahead of his compatriot on the penultimate lap at Turn 1. Bassani finished just over a second behind Petrucci with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completing the top ten. They had been in a fight with Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) but the #31 crashed out of the race on the final lap.
SCORING POINTS: A birthday present for Manzi, Rea takes P12
Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was able to claim points on his birthday as he finished in P11, his best result in his fledgling WorldSBK career. He finished ahead of Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) who took 12th ahead of Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates). It means Rea has now scored points in all 19 of his WorldSBK seasons. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) finished 14th despite a crash at Turn 5 on Lap 4, as did Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) on the same lap in a separate incident, but recovered to P14 with Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) claiming the final point in Race 2; he served a Long Lap Penalty in Race 2 due to irresponsible riding in the Tissot Superpole Race.
HOUSEKEEPING: Several retirements from the final race of the weekend
There were five retirements from Race 2. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) crashed at Turn 13 on Lap 5 which ended his hopes of adding to his points tally, while Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) crashed a lap later at Turn 5. On Lap 8, Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) fell at Turn 13 while Bautista was also a faller at Turn 5, coming down a lap later to the despair of Team Manager Marco Barnabo. Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) came down at Turn 4 on Lap 16 to end his race. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) rejoined the race despite crashing at the same time as Vierge in a separate incident at Turn 5, and while he entered the pits initially, he rejoined the track but was not classified after being six laps down.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.967s
3. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.096s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +7.265s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +10.079s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +15.105s
Fastest lap: Iker Lecuona, Ducati – 1’39.792s
Championship standings:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 124 points
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 68
3. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 60
4. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 56
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 48
6. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 43
Next up for WorldSBK is the ‘Cathedral of Speed’! Watch all the action from the TT Circuit Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Marco Bezzecchi (72) during the Warm Up session at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis
Marco Bezzecchi was fastest in the MotoGP Warm Up session Sunday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Italian led the 21-rider field with a time of 2:01.631 around the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) circuit.
Marc Marquez was second-best with a 2:01.720 on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26, and Fabio Di Giannantonio jumped up the order to third with a time of 2:02.093 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
The full-length MotoGP race is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. Local Time.
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www.roadracingworld.com
April 4, 2026
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