Eric Granado was fastest during FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Free practice 2 (FP1) Friday afternoon at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Brazilian rider covered the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) road course in 1:39.014, topping the field of 11 riders.
Oscar Gutierrez was the best of the rest with a 1:39.424 on his Niti Racing Harley-Davidson.
Eric Granado’s teammate, Archie Mcdonald, got third with a lap time of 1:39.490.
American Kyle Wyman got 7th with a lap time of 1:40.482 on his WEGNER X KWR Harley-Davidson and James Rispoli finished the session 8th with a time of 1:40.504 on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson.
Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Max Toth (1:39.512), Travis Wyman (1:40.334) and Jake Lewis (1:41.952) finished 5th, 6th, and 10th respectively.
Max Flinders got 9th on his ParkinGO TEAM Harley-Davidson with a lap time of 1:41.900.
Pedro Acosta led MotoGP World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 on spec Michelin tires, the Spaniard turned a lap time of 1:28.381 to lead the 22-rider field.
Fermin Aldeguer was the best of the rest with a 1:28.508 on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Ai Ogura was third at 1:28.568 on his SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26.
Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez finished the session fourth with a 1:28.585 on hisLenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Jorge Martin, piloting his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26, finished the practice session in fifth with a lap time of 1:28.603.
Acosta unbeatable in Austria for Friday honours at Red Bull Ring. In good form ahead of the round and untouchable on the opening day, The Shark seems to have plenty of bite this weekend and is ready to lock horns in Spielberg.
Giving KTM fans and bosses exactly what they wanted to see, the Austrian manufacturer’s homecoming has got off to a dream start with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing a Friday clean sweep at the Red Bull Ring. A 1’28.381 sealed the deal as the #37’s latest quest for a first MotoGP win gets underway in strong fashion, ahead of Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and returnee Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team). There was a brief red flag for a strange crash with Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) but he was all OK and in the top ten by the time the chequered flag waved.
FIRST HALF: the opening to Friday afternoon
Continuing on from his strong start to the day in FP1, Acosta was once again leading the way in the afternoon and after 20 minutes, was the only rider in the 1’28s. Elsewhere, Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) was up in fourth but suffered a tip off at Turn 4 before teammate Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) followed him into the gravel. Moreira wasn’t having much luck at Turn 4, running off three times in the opening 30 minutes of the session.
SECOND HALF: Acosta continues to dominate
Into the second half of Practice and Acosta improved his time once again, this time down to a 1’28.507 to extend his advantage out to more than half a second over Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing). The Shark was mighty lap-after-lap, improving once again to a 1’28.381 and looked to be doing it with ease. Behind, Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) was up into P2 and in the 1’28 club as riders started to get dialled in and push for times. He wasn’t the only Honda flying as Moreira got himself into the top three whilst elsewhere, Aldeguer moved into P2.
NEEDING IMPROVEMENTS: headlining names down field
20 minutes to go and there were notable names out of the top 10, including Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), both Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team riders Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Teammate Marc Marquez was only 11th with less than 15 to go but donned fresh rubber for the first time in Practice and soon moved himself up to second.
RED FLAG: Alex Marquez suffers strange crash exiting Turn 1
As the #93 improved, brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed on the exit of Turn 1 in strange fashion. After a small wheelie on the exit, as the front tyre touched down, a puff of smoke and then it folded away as the 2025 runner-up fell off the side, bringing out the red flag with 11:42 on the clock. Back underway after the short pause, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had moved into P8 whilst Bezzecchi came straight back into the pits after a box call by his crew. Teammate Martin had moved into second and Ogura into P3 on his first track action since Silverstone; Alex Marquez was back out on bike #2 and into P5.
FINAL PUSH: chequered flag out in Austria on Friday
A flurry of late changes in the final two minutes as Aldeguer came up the order to second and Binder consolidated his top ten showing with another improvement. Acosta was also back out but KTM’s home star had no need to worry from anyone behind as he led the way on day one. Arch-rival Aldeguer took second ahead of Ogura, whilst Championship leader Marc Marquez was fourth. 0.018s behind, Martin was fifth ahead of Di Giannantonio, Binder, Alex Marquez, Bezzecchi and Quartararo, the 2021 World Champion directly into Q2 for the first time since Barcelona. Missing out by just 0.004s, Marini finds himself in Q1 along with Zarco and Moreira, whereas Pecco Bagnaia was only 18th.
Day one done, qualifying and Tissot Sprint honours up for grabs on Saturday; track action ignites at 08:40, don’t miss the action!
Filip Salac led Moto2 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex on Pirelli control tires, the Czech rider lapped the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) road course in 1:32.402, topping the field of 27 riders and breaking Manuel Gonzalez’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:32.779 from 2025.
Ivan Ortola was second-best with a time of 1:32.499 on his QJMOTOR – Campolor – MSI Kalex.
Daniel Holgado did a third-fastest 1:32.600 on his CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team Kalex.
Tony Arbolino got fourth on this RED Fantic Racing Kalex with a lap time of 1:32.625.
Izan Guevara finished the practice session fifth with a time of 1:32.638 on his BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts finished Friday afternoon’s practice session 16th with a best time of 1:33.302 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Salač soars to Practice P1 with new lap record. The Czech star beats Ortola by less than a tenth in a tightly contested Moto2 Practice.
Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) heads into the weekend as the rider to beat in Moto2 after the Czech star set a new class all-time lap record at the Red Bull Ring, a 1:32.402, to top Practice. 0.097s away in second place is Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Campolor – MSI), and a further tenth in arrears is Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), who acts as the third-quickest rider on Day 1.
Going into Practice, two riders were unfortunately ruled out of action for the weekend after separate Turn 6 crashes in FP1. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Collin Veijer suffered a fractured left collarbone just a few days on from bagging his second podium of the season at Misano, while Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR – Campolor – MSI) picked up a small fracture in his right hand. Both will head back to Spain and undergo surgery.
On track, FP1 pacesetter Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) nailed home a positive day at the office with a P4 finish in Practice, but on the other side of the box, a late crash at Turn 2a cost Misano podium finisher Barry Baltus a chance of climbing into the top 14. Q1 beckons for the Belgian.
The championship frontrunners all made it into Q2 though, with Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) fifth fastest on Friday. The gap between Salač and Guevara was 0.236s; Colombia’s David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) earned P6, with title race leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) one place behind seventh-fastest Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) in P8.
It was a quieter session than usual for Gonzalez and teammate Senna Agius, with the Australian P12 on the Practice timesheets ahead of Saturday afternoon’s qualifying.
Tune in to see if anyone can beat Salač’s new all-time lap record in qualifying – it all kicks off at 13:40 local time (UTC +2).
David Almansa led Moto3 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Almansa used his Pirelli-shod Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM to lap the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) track in 1:39.668 to lead the field of 26 riders.
Maximo Quiles was second-best with a time of 1:39.863 on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 1:40.171.
Matteo Bertelle, piloting his LEVEL UP – MTA KTM finished fourth with a time of 1:40.190.
Carpe’s teammate, Brian Uriarte, got fifth with a lap time of 1:40.278.
Almansa fastest from Quiles on Friday in Austria. Less than a second covered the top 14 but it was a familiar story at the top of the timings.
Once again, it was a Friday to remember for David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) as the Spaniard topped both FP1 and Practice timesheets, the 20th time he’s found himself leading a session this season. A1’39.667 saw him within striking distance of the all-time lap record and with Saturday’s sessions still to come, don’t bet against a new one being set.
Almansa was metronomic from the get-go and set a relentless pace throughout, the majority of the time saw him with P1 next to his name. 0.195s behind, Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Aspar Gaviota Team) is the lap record holder for the time being and was the only other rider along with Almansa in the 1’39s. Three tenths further back, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) left it late to put in a fast lap but did finish P3 at the chequered flag.
Fourth place honours went to Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA) who had a late fall at Turn 3 and disagreement with the track marshals; he remounted in order to set his fastest lap of the session. Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) rounded out the top five, one place ahead of Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI), who was a late crasher too.
Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) was the last rider to sneak into the top 14, denying David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) an ideal return from injury with the #64 in 15th, ahead of Guido Pini (Leopard Racing), 2025 Austrian GP polesitter Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) and Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), setting up for a closely-contested Q1.
Archie Mcdonald was quickest during FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Free practice 1 (FP1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Australian rider covered the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) road course in 1:39.671, topping the field of 11 riders.
Andrea Iannone was the best of the rest with a 1:39.727 on his Niti Racing Harley-Davidson.
Mcdonald’s teammate, Eric Granado, got third with a lap time of 1:39.899.
American James Rispoli finished the first practice fifth with a time of 1:40.225 on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson and Kyle Wyman got sixth with a lap time of 1:40.416 on his WEGNER X KWR Harley-Davidson.
Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Max Toth (1:40.672), Travis Wyman (1:41.467) and Jake Lewis (1:45.937) finished 7th, 8th, and 10th respectively.
Max Flinders got 9th on his ParkinGO TEAM Harley-Davidson with a lap time of 1:43.677.
Pedro Acosta topped MotoGP World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Michelin-shod Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16, the Spaniard turned a lap of 1:29.851 around the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) track and led the 22-rider field.
Pol Espargaro was second-best with a 1:30.084 on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16.
Jorge Martin was third with a lap of 1:30.159 on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26.
Marc Marquez got fourth on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26 with a time of 1:30.186.
Johann Zarco finished the session fifth with a time of 1:30.364 on his Castrol Honda LCR RC213V.
Acosta leads Espargaro as KTM kickstart home Grand Prix with FP1 1-2. That’s not a bad start to the Austrian GP for the Austrians, is it? The #37 sets the pace ahead of the #44, with Martin completing the top three.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3) hand the Austrian factory a 1-2 start to the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Austria, which is KTM’s first 1-2 in any session since Practice at the 2025 Catalan GP. Not bad at all, especially after Espargaro’s small crash at Turn 4. Third place, despite a technical issue in the session, was Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), who arrives at the Red Bull Ring level on points with fourth-fastest Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) at the top of the overall standings.
Acosta’s 1:29.851 was a couple of tenths faster than Espargaro’s best effort, with the back-to-back podium finisher the only rider to dip their toe into the 1:29 bracket on Friday morning. Martin and Marc Marquez were both three tenths away from Acosta’s time, with fifth-place Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) half a second adrift from the FP1 summit.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) kickstarted his weekend with a P6 finish, as the Italian aims to bounce back from his Sunday error a few days ago in Misano. And staying on the subject of Aprilia, Ai Ogura (SuperFiles Trackhouse MotoGP Team) began his injury comeback with a P19 finish. The gap to Acosta? 1.4s.
That’s FP1 in the books then, with the fastest 16 riders split by under a second. Coming up, the all-important Practice session at 3 pm local time. Don’t miss it.
Tony Arbolino was quickest during Moto2 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Pirelli-shod REDS Fantic Racing Kalex on the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) track, the Italian rider recorded a 1:33.074 to lead the field of 29 riders.
David Alonso was the best of the rest with a 1:33.116 on his CFMOTO Inde Team Kalex.
Izan Guevara was third-fastest with a 1:33.169 on his BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts finished the opening session in 27th with a 1:35.256 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
David Almansa was quickest during Moto3 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard covered the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) road course in 1:40.595, topping the field of 26 riders.
Maximo Quiles was the best of the rest with a 1:41.243 on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM.
Adrian Fernandez was third with a lap time of 1:41.289 on his Leopard Racing Honda.
Sometimes it’s the little things that make big differences. Stahlbus began after Martin Maszull had done dozens of brake fluid changes and, according to the company website, “was simply fed up with constantly ruining the freshly painted caliper and being always at loggerheads with his girlfriend when bleeding the system.”
Maszull went on to invent the Stahlbus one-way brake caliper bleeder valve, which has reduced the amount of profanity in garages and shops around the world by an inestimable amount.
A bleeder valve (arrow a) on a caliper; a blue quick-disconnect brake line fitting (arrow b) allows changing or removing the caliper without re-bleeding it.
Similarly, Thomas Modlmeier had a simple idea: a family-run, online business to keep him busy in his later years and something to hand down to his children or grandchildren. He hooked up with Maszull, who he refers to as “a brother,” and became the U.S. distributor for Stahlbus, creating a company whose products have quietly established a presence on bikes across the country.
Modlmeier, age 62, of Munich, started riding mopeds at 16 in Germany and got his first motorcycle when he was 18. Somewhere along the way, he purchased his forever motorcycle—a BMW 75/6—which has been with him for years and travels when he relocates. Which he has, many times.
Modlmeier connecting to BMW was not unusual for someone mechanically minded working in Munich. “If you lived in Munich, you worked for BMW,” he says. He trained as a collision damage repair specialist through Germany’s rigorous apprenticeship system and earned both journeyman and master certifications. His skills and experience led BMW to relocate him to New York, where he spent four years of his life with the company in Manhattan. When his contract was up, Modlmeier’s patience with the weather was up as well.
“New York has pretty much the same weather in Munich. So it rains, it snows, and all this kind of stuff. And I literally said, you know what? I’m done with this crap. I want something different. So I had a Jeep and a trailer and a boat, and I just packed everything to the gills and drove in three weeks from New York, from Queens to San Diego.”
Modlmeier worked for the Penske automotive operation in San Diego, enjoying the sunshine and putting miles on his motorcycles—his favorite being a Triumph 675. Modlmeier put in time upgrading the suspension and running gear to match his needs and his aesthetic. Tinkering, repairing, building, all are rewarding to Modlmeier, and it’s a philosophy he has lived by. “I don’t like to buy things I can build,” he says.
On one of his trips back to Germany, he met Maszull and the two struck up a friendship. Maszull eventually started looking for people to market his devices, and Modlmeier was looking for something beyond his collision repair career.
“Sometimes you meet people in your life and you think like, oh, I can associate. He has the same ideas, the same, you know, hobbies and all this kind of stuff,” Modlmeier says. “You just e-mail, make a call, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ And then during one of these calls, he just says, ‘When are you coming next time?’ And when I come back, he just literally says, ‘Hey, this is what I’m doing. What do you think? Can we do this over there?’ And I said, ‘Let me try it. And that’s how we started out.”
From the beginning, the bleeder valves have been the main seller for the company. At any given moment, Modlmeier has between $80,000 and $150,000 worth of inventory on hand, and the bleeder valves make up most of it. (For those who are not familiar with the valves, they replace the usual brake bleeder valve on the caliper and can be set for one-way operation. You attach the bleeder hose as normal and pump the brake lever, and brake fluid comes out but does not get sucked back into the system. The valves simplify and speed up
a process that is, under the best of circumstances, slow and fraught with the possibility of getting highly corrosive brake fluid onto painted parts.)
The red Stahlbus quick-disconnect brake-line fitting seen here makes it possible to quickly change a crash-damaged master cylinder without bleeding.
And it’s not just motorheads who have found the magic of the valves. Modlmeier says his customer base includes people who are using them for all kinds of non-motorcycle applications.
“I would go to shows and all of a sudden, people are coming up, saying things like, ‘I have a helicopter. Can I use it for the helicopter?’ And I’m like, ‘It was not designed for the helicopter. But if it works for the helicopter, why not?’ See, that’s it. And people started using it for different applications, applications we never thought about it,” Modlmeier says. “We have private pilots, we have so many different diverse people buying our stuff now. There is a guy in Washington state who builds mini submarines who is using them. Every time, when it comes up from a dive, he has air from the depth in the lines. So he uses a drain valve to get the air out. They get used for all kinds of weird stuff.”
Stahlbus fittings.
The company is also known for its quick-disconnect hydraulic fittings that allow for caliper and master-cylinder changes without re-bleeding the brake system, and also offers quick oil change valves.
A Stahlbus quick-attach drain fitting (with hose) reduces mess related to changing bike, car, or truck oil.
Modlmeier spends a fair amount of his time on the road at shows, and still enjoys working with his hands. Which led, in part, to the decision to purchase property in and move to Rising Fawn, Georgia. Modlmeier wanted to own a building for his operation, and land costs in Southern California made that impossible for an operation the size of Stahlbus.
And Modlmeier is not only going to own his own building, he’s going to build it himself. His
new facility will be roughly 30 or 40 feet by 50 feet, designed to with stand regional weather—including tornadoes—and will serve as both workspace and showroom.
Heather Modlmeier works with parts.
But the operation is more than just a business to Modlmeier. He wanted to stay busy after his retirement, and the U.S. Stahlbus operation allows him to stay exactly as busy as he wants as he transitions into his later years. And he wanted to leave something behind for his family when he steps away from business entirely.
“It was designed so we always have something to do,” Modlmeier says. “And later, maybe we give it to our kids or grandchildren—so they don’t have to start from zero.”
MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams are heading to the Red Bull Ring this weekend for Round 15 of the 2026 FIM MotoGP World Championship. Following the San Marino round, the paddock returns to action from September 18-20, with all three classes set to take on the fast and technical 2.7-mile (4.35-kilometer) circuit in Spielberg, Austria. As the championship battle enters its final stages, every point becomes increasingly important. Below, find the latest team press releases ahead of the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Austria.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Aprilia Racing renews the challenge at the Austrian GP.
Just a few days after the Misano race, Aprilia Racing is back at the track in Styria for the fifteenth GP of the season, the final one before the overseas stage of the championship begins.
Jorge Martín heads to Austria after a positive week in Misano which, however, had a complicated ending. After taking third in the sprint race, the Spanish rider finished the long race fifth, conditioned by presumed compartment syndrome. Therefore, the goal in Austria will be to assess his physical condition in order to tackle the weekend in the best possible conditions.
On the other hand, for Marco Bezzecchi, the Austrian GP will be a chance to turn the page after a long race in Misano that ended early for him after a crash on the first lap. The Italian rider will be picking up from where he left off on Friday and Saturday in Misano – with pole position and the all-time lap record, as well as his podium finish in the sprint race – to aim for a return to battling for the top spots.
Previously known as the Österreichring, this historic circuit is located in the Styria region of Austria. The track is 4.35 km long and has 10 corners with a 65-metre range in elevation. From 2022, in order to increase safety, a chicane was introduced on turn 2, thereby making the layout different from the one used in Formula 1.
Jorge Martin (89) at Misano. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Jorge Martin: “Misano did not go exactly as we expected. Despite this, we’ll hold onto the positive aspects, because in the long race, I had a good feeling, a good pace, and I was riding the way I like to up until I began to feel my forearm tightening up. After Austria, we’ll evaluate how to tackle this physical problem, and we’ll examine the possible solutions. Aprilia continues to do an outstanding job to help me find the right feeling and go into the weekend with as few doubts as possible. Now we need to focus on Austria, which is a track I like. I’d like to thank the team for the work they’re doing and the fans who supported us for the entire weekend in Misano. The atmosphere was spectacular.”
Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Misano. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Marco Bezzecchi: “I’m obviously disappointed about the Misano race, but the positive thing is that Austria is coming up straight away. Getting back in the saddle as quickly as possible after a mistake is fundamental. I’m clearly sorry about the crash, but we are taking away a lot of positive things from Misano: speed, the pole position, and my best result in a sprint race this season. The mistake in the Misano race obviously hurts, but we’ll try to transform that pain into grit for Austria.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Continue Action in Austria. The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team have travelled straight from Misano to Spielberg for Round 15 of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship: the Grand Prix of Austria.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team resume the 2026 MotoGP racing action at the Spielberg circuit in Austria this weekend. The Grand Prix of Austria is always a round that the team look forward to due to its great location and atmosphere.
With Round 15 being the last EU GP before the overseas, Fabio Quartararo is keen to push again. The Frenchman, who currently sits in 15th place in the standings, has scored multiple premier class podiums there. He secured third place in Austria on his YZR-M1 in 2019, repeated the feat in the 2021 Styrian GP, and took a second place in Spielberg in 2022.
Álex Rins’ race in Misano ended early due to a migraine and severe nausea. The Spaniard has focused on recovering before this weekend’s action commences. He is currently in 20th position in the overall classification and keen to score points in the Austrian GP. He stood on the podium there once in 2016 for a third place in Moto2. His best MotoGP result there is a sixth place.
The Spielberg circuit was constructed in 1969 and was rebuilt in 1996 to the track’s current layout. It hosted two Austrian GPs in the 90s and staged its return to MotoGP Grand Prix racing after nineteen years in 2016. It has been a fixture on the MotoGP calendar since, even hosting two consecutive GPs (Austrian GP and Styrian GP) in both 2020 and 2021. The 4.35 km track has a special character with only ten turns in total (three left and eight right corners because the layout includes a chicane) and multiple long straights, the longest measuring 810m.
Fabio Quartararo (20) and Alex Rins (42). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo: “Spielberg is a track where you need to be strong in a lot of key areas, especially braking and acceleration. We know what we need to work on. We keep pushing and trying to improve step by step every weekend. The race in Misano was pretty good, and the goal for Austria is to have a solid weekend again, put in the work, and see how much we can get out of the package here.”
Alex Rins:“I was disappointed that I couldn’t finish the race in Misano. I am okay now, and I’m looking forward to getting back to work again in Spielberg. We’ll focus on understanding the performance we get in the first session and then work on the areas where we feel we can make improvements. We know the challenges that Spielberg presents, but we’ll keep working and have a productive weekend.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director :“We now arrive at Spielberg for the back-to-back weekend. Spielberg is a very specific circuit, with heavy braking zones and long acceleration areas. It’s a track where we expect to get some good learnings. We approach the weekend with the same positive mindset as always, and we have the intention to work hard. Our focus remains on making the most of every session, gathering valuable data, and achieving the best results possible.”
More, from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP heads to Austria looking to build on Misano progress.
Just five days after the San Marino Grand Prix, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP returns to action at the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix. The team aims to leave behind the difficulties encountered at Misano while building on the encouraging progress seen towards the end of the weekend.
Just five days after the San Marino Grand Prix, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP heads to Spielberg for the Austrian Grand Prix, with the team looking to put the difficulties of Misano behind it while carrying forward the positive signs that emerged during the final stages of the weekend. The work carried out on the YZR-M1 at Misano provided useful information, and the team will now look to build on that progress as development of the project continues.
For Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Austria will represent a very different challenge. The Turkish rider has not raced at the Red Bull Ring for many years and his previous experience dates back to his early career in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, before some modifications to the track layout, meaning the circuit will be a relatively new reference point with the MotoGP bike. Jack Miller, meanwhile, knows the track well and has enjoyed strong results there in the past, including a podium finish in 2022.
The 4.318-kilometre Red Bull Ring is one of the fastest circuits on the MotoGP calendar, with just 10 corners, significant elevation changes and several long acceleration zones. The track features a 626-metre start-finish straight and a longest straight of around 810 metres, placing particular emphasis on acceleration, braking performance and top speed. MotoGP returned to Spielberg in 2016 after a 19-year absence, and the Austrian Grand Prix has remained a fixture on the calendar ever since.
The characteristics of the circuit will therefore present a demanding test for the YZR-M1, particularly on the long straights, but the team has continued working between Grand Prix to arrive prepared and is also waiting for further updates that could provide additional steps forward in the development of the bike. With another opportunity to evaluate its progress on a very different layout, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP will look to start the Austrian weekend in a stronger position and continue moving in the right direction.
Jack Miller (left) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (right). Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Jack Miller: “Looking forward to getting back to Austria. Obviously, after a difficult weekend in Misano, we worked really hard with the team to try to find a good setting. Unfortunately, a small mistake in the race ended our weekend early, so I‘m looking forward to bouncing back in Austria. Hopefully we can arrive with some more energy, have a better relationship with both the bike and the track, and keep working to improve. It‘s a circuit I know well, so the goal is to get comfortable with the bike straight away and see what we can put together.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu:“Red Bull Ring is a track I have raced at before with the Rookies Cup, and I like the circuit, but this will be my first time riding the MotoGP bike here. It will be a new experience for me, especially because I raced here many years ago, so I need to adapt quickly and understand the track again with this bike. Normally Friday is not my strongest day, but this is something we really need to improve. I have been talking with my team about it and everyone is focused on making a stronger start to the weekend. Qualifying is very important for us because I need to start further forward to have a better chance in the race. I will give my best as always and try to adapt as quickly as possible. Hopefully we can find a good feeling from Friday, make a step forward in qualifying and put ourselves in a better position for the weekend.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Director:“Obviously, especially with Toprak, we will try to continue in the direction we have taken recently, which seems to be a positive one. We will also have some further upgrades arriving for the Austrian Grand Prix, so it will be an interesting weekend for us. We know it will be a difficult race because the characteristics of the circuit could put us under some pressure, particularly when it comes to engine performance. At the same time, I believe that in the last few races we have moved a little closer to the others with our overall setup, and Austria will give us a good opportunity to understand whether that progress can be confirmed on a very different track. We will look carefully at the telemetry and the data we collect throughout the weekend. If the performance we have seen in the last races is confirmed in Austria as well, it will be a strong indication that we are moving in the right direction.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol:
Marini alongside Nakagami for Austrian GP.
After a consistent weekend at his home GP, Luca Marini aims to replicate his performance in Austria as Takaaki Nakagami targets familiarisation ahead of his own home round wildcard.
Originally opened in 1969 as the Österreichring before its modern reincarnation in 2011, the 4.35 km, 10-turn Red Bull Ring – Spielberg combines three long straights with heavy, late-braking zones, rewarding outright horsepower and stability under braking above all else. Famous for intense battles down to the line and unpredictable events, it remains a circuit where the Honda HRC Castrol team will need every ounce of race craft and strategy to continue fighting towards the front.
Luca Marini heads into the Austrian Grand Prix as Honda HRC Castrol’s most consistent points-scorer through 2026, the only rider in the premier class to have taken points each Sunday this season. Having shown a clear step in his one-lap pace during the San Marino GP weekend, the Italian is looking to replicate this performance and continue chasing down the leading pack. He is again aiming to maximise his Qualifying performance before bringing home solid points and continuing his run as Honda’s leading representative in the 2026 championship standings.
Returning to the MotoGP World Championship for the first time since the 2025 Japanese GP is Takaaki Nakagami, the Honda HRC Development Rider called in to replace Joan Mir. Having spent much of the year working on future projects, the weekend will give the veteran of over 100 premier class Grands Prix a chance to reacquaint himself with the Honda RC213V. In the past, the Austrian GP has produced a steady string of point scoring results for the Japanese ace but the 2026 edition will have a different objective.
Luca Marini: “First, I want to wish Joan well and I hope he can be back on the bike with us ASAP – he is a really valuable teammate. Here it is all about hard braking and hard acceleration out of the corner, what we did in Misano can help us here. We remain realistic about where we are and our target does not change. Repeating a weekend like we had in Misano is our goal: show our pace on Friday and work well with the team to keep building step by step. It’s a track where a lot can happen, it’s really important to position yourself well and be ready to capitalize on anything that happens. Let’s enjoy and prepare correctly for the Asian races, starting in Japan.”
Takaaki Nakagami:“I arrive in Austria straight from a private test in Mugello, but we have been doing a lot of different testing of a lot of different bikes. This weekend will be about getting back up to speed completely with the RC213V and the Michelin tyres ahead of my wildcard at home in Motegi. Of course, I am sure that we will take this opportunity to try a couple of things that maybe the team wouldn’t normally so we can be well prepared for the future. The main thing is to make sure that Joan is OK, this is the key point in this difficult moment for him.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
Ducati Lenovo Team ready to return to the track: stop at the Austrian Ring, where 10 years ago the journey that changed the history of the Desmosedici GP began.
The MotoGP paddock heads to Styria for the 15th round of the 2026 season. A track rich in history and unforgettable memories, where it all began 10 years ago: in 2016, it was indeed Andrea Iannone who brought the Borgo Panigale manufacturer back to victory in MotoGP, kicking off a decade of extraordinary and uninterrupted dominance. From that moment on, the Desmosedici GP managed to claim at least one victory at the Red Bull Ring every single year for 10 consecutive seasons (if we consider Jorge Martín’s triumph in the 2021 Styrian GP). A true technical and sporting dominance, demonstrated by Andrea Dovizioso’s 3 victories, Pecco Bagnaia’s 3 wins, and the victories achieved by Andrea Iannone, Jorge Lorenzo, Jorge Martín, and Marc Márquez.
Marc arrives in Austria looking to capitalize on his momentum, riding high after a perfect weekend in Misano where he claimed another full haul of 37 points, thus completing an extraordinary 102-point comeback to retake top spot in the general standings (while Ducati also reclaimed the top spot in the constructors’ standings).
After a complicated weekend in Misano, where he struggled to find the ideal feeling with the bike, Pecco is preparing to tackle a circuit that historically suits his riding style very well. Backed by the results and victories achieved here in recent years, the Italian rider is determined to return as a key player and rediscover the best feeling right from the initial sessions on track.
Francesco Bagnaia (left) and Marc Marquez (right). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Marc Márquez (#93, Ducati Lenovo Team): “We come off a perfect weekend: the victory at Misano gave me a huge boost, also thanks to the support of so many Ducatisti fans. Here in Austria, I was competitive last year, and together with the whole Team, we need to make the most of this positive momentum as we continue to fight with the best”.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63, Ducati Lenovo Team): “In Misano, it wasn’t easy to end the weekend with a crash in front of all the fans, but we have to keep working together with the Team. Austria is a track where historically Ducati has always managed to make a difference and where I’ve achieved great results in the past. We won’t give up and we’ll keep pushing to be back at the front”.
More, from a press release issued by VR46 Team:
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is back on track right away for the Austrian GP, fifteenth round of the 2026 campaign.
There’s no time to rest, MotoGP is back in action this weekend at Spielberg for the fifth back-to-back round of the season. The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team – which got a third-place finish in 2023 – is ready to face the Austrian GP with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, who are pumped up from the home crowd.
After a more challenging than expected Misano round, Di Giannantonio is eager to be back on top positions in Austria, where he arrives in fourth place in the World Standing with 223 points. The goal for the Styrian weekend is to turn the potential he has shown into results and return to the podium.
At the Austrian track, Morbidelli claimed a second place in 2016 and a victory in 2017 (both in Moto2): these results – together with the steps forward he has shown in the last races – give Franco plenty of confidence and a positive outlook heading into the Austrian GP. The goal for the Italian-Brazilian rider – currently sixteenth in the overall standings with 56 points – is to build on and confirm his recent progress.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will hit the track on Friday for free practice, while qualifying will take place on Saturday at 10:50 (local time). The Sprint will get underway at 3:00 pm (local time) on Saturday, while the Austrian GP will conclude on Sunday with the main race, starting at 2:00 pm (local time).
Fabio Di Giannantonio at Misano. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “I am happy to be back on track right away, because in Misano weekend we did everything in the right way, but some things could have been better. Anyway, we are showing a great speed on every track and this gives us confidence even if we’re heading to a track where I struggled in the past. We are fourth in the World Standing, and we are doing a great work, aiming to get the results we deserve in Austria.”
Franco Morbidelli (21) at Misano. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Franco Morbidelli: “The Austrian circuit is completely different from Misano and it suits our bike very well. Ducati has always been very strong on this track and this is positive. I am very confident also because I got great results here in the past. The team and I are working very well, so we just need to work in the same way to start the weekend with a positive Friday as we’re doing. Then we have to keep the same trend throughouth the three days.”
Eric Granado (51) in Austria. Photo courtesy Bagger World Cup.
Eric Granado was fastest during FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Free practice 2 (FP1) Friday afternoon at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Brazilian rider covered the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) road course in 1:39.014, topping the field of 11 riders.
Oscar Gutierrez was the best of the rest with a 1:39.424 on his Niti Racing Harley-Davidson.
Eric Granado’s teammate, Archie Mcdonald, got third with a lap time of 1:39.490.
American Kyle Wyman got 7th with a lap time of 1:40.482 on his WEGNER X KWR Harley-Davidson and James Rispoli finished the session 8th with a time of 1:40.504 on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson.
Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Max Toth (1:39.512), Travis Wyman (1:40.334) and Jake Lewis (1:41.952) finished 5th, 6th, and 10th respectively.
Max Flinders got 9th on his ParkinGO TEAM Harley-Davidson with a lap time of 1:41.900.
Pedro Acosta (37) and Pol Espargaro (44) in Austria. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Pedro Acosta led MotoGP World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 on spec Michelin tires, the Spaniard turned a lap time of 1:28.381 to lead the 22-rider field.
Fermin Aldeguer was the best of the rest with a 1:28.508 on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Ai Ogura was third at 1:28.568 on his SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26.
Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez finished the session fourth with a 1:28.585 on hisLenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Jorge Martin, piloting his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26, finished the practice session in fifth with a lap time of 1:28.603.
Acosta unbeatable in Austria for Friday honours at Red Bull Ring. In good form ahead of the round and untouchable on the opening day, The Shark seems to have plenty of bite this weekend and is ready to lock horns in Spielberg.
Giving KTM fans and bosses exactly what they wanted to see, the Austrian manufacturer’s homecoming has got off to a dream start with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing a Friday clean sweep at the Red Bull Ring. A 1’28.381 sealed the deal as the #37’s latest quest for a first MotoGP win gets underway in strong fashion, ahead of Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and returnee Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team). There was a brief red flag for a strange crash with Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) but he was all OK and in the top ten by the time the chequered flag waved.
FIRST HALF: the opening to Friday afternoon
Continuing on from his strong start to the day in FP1, Acosta was once again leading the way in the afternoon and after 20 minutes, was the only rider in the 1’28s. Elsewhere, Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) was up in fourth but suffered a tip off at Turn 4 before teammate Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) followed him into the gravel. Moreira wasn’t having much luck at Turn 4, running off three times in the opening 30 minutes of the session.
SECOND HALF: Acosta continues to dominate
Into the second half of Practice and Acosta improved his time once again, this time down to a 1’28.507 to extend his advantage out to more than half a second over Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing). The Shark was mighty lap-after-lap, improving once again to a 1’28.381 and looked to be doing it with ease. Behind, Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) was up into P2 and in the 1’28 club as riders started to get dialled in and push for times. He wasn’t the only Honda flying as Moreira got himself into the top three whilst elsewhere, Aldeguer moved into P2.
NEEDING IMPROVEMENTS: headlining names down field
20 minutes to go and there were notable names out of the top 10, including Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), both Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team riders Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Teammate Marc Marquez was only 11th with less than 15 to go but donned fresh rubber for the first time in Practice and soon moved himself up to second.
RED FLAG: Alex Marquez suffers strange crash exiting Turn 1
As the #93 improved, brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed on the exit of Turn 1 in strange fashion. After a small wheelie on the exit, as the front tyre touched down, a puff of smoke and then it folded away as the 2025 runner-up fell off the side, bringing out the red flag with 11:42 on the clock. Back underway after the short pause, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had moved into P8 whilst Bezzecchi came straight back into the pits after a box call by his crew. Teammate Martin had moved into second and Ogura into P3 on his first track action since Silverstone; Alex Marquez was back out on bike #2 and into P5.
FINAL PUSH: chequered flag out in Austria on Friday
A flurry of late changes in the final two minutes as Aldeguer came up the order to second and Binder consolidated his top ten showing with another improvement. Acosta was also back out but KTM’s home star had no need to worry from anyone behind as he led the way on day one. Arch-rival Aldeguer took second ahead of Ogura, whilst Championship leader Marc Marquez was fourth. 0.018s behind, Martin was fifth ahead of Di Giannantonio, Binder, Alex Marquez, Bezzecchi and Quartararo, the 2021 World Champion directly into Q2 for the first time since Barcelona. Missing out by just 0.004s, Marini finds himself in Q1 along with Zarco and Moreira, whereas Pecco Bagnaia was only 18th.
Day one done, qualifying and Tissot Sprint honours up for grabs on Saturday; track action ignites at 08:40, don’t miss the action!
Filip Salac (12) in Austria. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Filip Salac led Moto2 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex on Pirelli control tires, the Czech rider lapped the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) road course in 1:32.402, topping the field of 27 riders and breaking Manuel Gonzalez’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:32.779 from 2025.
Ivan Ortola was second-best with a time of 1:32.499 on his QJMOTOR – Campolor – MSI Kalex.
Daniel Holgado did a third-fastest 1:32.600 on his CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team Kalex.
Tony Arbolino got fourth on this RED Fantic Racing Kalex with a lap time of 1:32.625.
Izan Guevara finished the practice session fifth with a time of 1:32.638 on his BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts finished Friday afternoon’s practice session 16th with a best time of 1:33.302 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Salač soars to Practice P1 with new lap record. The Czech star beats Ortola by less than a tenth in a tightly contested Moto2 Practice.
Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) heads into the weekend as the rider to beat in Moto2 after the Czech star set a new class all-time lap record at the Red Bull Ring, a 1:32.402, to top Practice. 0.097s away in second place is Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Campolor – MSI), and a further tenth in arrears is Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), who acts as the third-quickest rider on Day 1.
Going into Practice, two riders were unfortunately ruled out of action for the weekend after separate Turn 6 crashes in FP1. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Collin Veijer suffered a fractured left collarbone just a few days on from bagging his second podium of the season at Misano, while Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR – Campolor – MSI) picked up a small fracture in his right hand. Both will head back to Spain and undergo surgery.
On track, FP1 pacesetter Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) nailed home a positive day at the office with a P4 finish in Practice, but on the other side of the box, a late crash at Turn 2a cost Misano podium finisher Barry Baltus a chance of climbing into the top 14. Q1 beckons for the Belgian.
The championship frontrunners all made it into Q2 though, with Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) fifth fastest on Friday. The gap between Salač and Guevara was 0.236s; Colombia’s David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) earned P6, with title race leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) one place behind seventh-fastest Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) in P8.
It was a quieter session than usual for Gonzalez and teammate Senna Agius, with the Australian P12 on the Practice timesheets ahead of Saturday afternoon’s qualifying.
Tune in to see if anyone can beat Salač’s new all-time lap record in qualifying – it all kicks off at 13:40 local time (UTC +2).
David Almansa (22) in Austria. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
David Almansa led Moto3 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Almansa used his Pirelli-shod Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM to lap the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) track in 1:39.668 to lead the field of 26 riders.
Maximo Quiles was second-best with a time of 1:39.863 on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 1:40.171.
Matteo Bertelle, piloting his LEVEL UP – MTA KTM finished fourth with a time of 1:40.190.
Carpe’s teammate, Brian Uriarte, got fifth with a lap time of 1:40.278.
Almansa fastest from Quiles on Friday in Austria. Less than a second covered the top 14 but it was a familiar story at the top of the timings.
Once again, it was a Friday to remember for David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) as the Spaniard topped both FP1 and Practice timesheets, the 20th time he’s found himself leading a session this season. A1’39.667 saw him within striking distance of the all-time lap record and with Saturday’s sessions still to come, don’t bet against a new one being set.
Almansa was metronomic from the get-go and set a relentless pace throughout, the majority of the time saw him with P1 next to his name. 0.195s behind, Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Aspar Gaviota Team) is the lap record holder for the time being and was the only other rider along with Almansa in the 1’39s. Three tenths further back, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) left it late to put in a fast lap but did finish P3 at the chequered flag.
Fourth place honours went to Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA) who had a late fall at Turn 3 and disagreement with the track marshals; he remounted in order to set his fastest lap of the session. Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) rounded out the top five, one place ahead of Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI), who was a late crasher too.
Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) was the last rider to sneak into the top 14, denying David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) an ideal return from injury with the #64 in 15th, ahead of Guido Pini (Leopard Racing), 2025 Austrian GP polesitter Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) and Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), setting up for a closely-contested Q1.
Archie McDonald (69) in Austria. Photo courtesy BWC.
Archie Mcdonald was quickest during FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Free practice 1 (FP1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Australian rider covered the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) road course in 1:39.671, topping the field of 11 riders.
Andrea Iannone was the best of the rest with a 1:39.727 on his Niti Racing Harley-Davidson.
Mcdonald’s teammate, Eric Granado, got third with a lap time of 1:39.899.
American James Rispoli finished the first practice fifth with a time of 1:40.225 on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson and Kyle Wyman got sixth with a lap time of 1:40.416 on his WEGNER X KWR Harley-Davidson.
Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Max Toth (1:40.672), Travis Wyman (1:41.467) and Jake Lewis (1:45.937) finished 7th, 8th, and 10th respectively.
Max Flinders got 9th on his ParkinGO TEAM Harley-Davidson with a lap time of 1:43.677.
Pedro Acosta (37) in Austria. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
Pedro Acosta topped MotoGP World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Michelin-shod Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16, the Spaniard turned a lap of 1:29.851 around the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) track and led the 22-rider field.
Pol Espargaro was second-best with a 1:30.084 on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16.
Jorge Martin was third with a lap of 1:30.159 on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26.
Marc Marquez got fourth on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26 with a time of 1:30.186.
Johann Zarco finished the session fifth with a time of 1:30.364 on his Castrol Honda LCR RC213V.
Acosta leads Espargaro as KTM kickstart home Grand Prix with FP1 1-2. That’s not a bad start to the Austrian GP for the Austrians, is it? The #37 sets the pace ahead of the #44, with Martin completing the top three.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3) hand the Austrian factory a 1-2 start to the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Austria, which is KTM’s first 1-2 in any session since Practice at the 2025 Catalan GP. Not bad at all, especially after Espargaro’s small crash at Turn 4. Third place, despite a technical issue in the session, was Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), who arrives at the Red Bull Ring level on points with fourth-fastest Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) at the top of the overall standings.
Acosta’s 1:29.851 was a couple of tenths faster than Espargaro’s best effort, with the back-to-back podium finisher the only rider to dip their toe into the 1:29 bracket on Friday morning. Martin and Marc Marquez were both three tenths away from Acosta’s time, with fifth-place Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) half a second adrift from the FP1 summit.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) kickstarted his weekend with a P6 finish, as the Italian aims to bounce back from his Sunday error a few days ago in Misano. And staying on the subject of Aprilia, Ai Ogura (SuperFiles Trackhouse MotoGP Team) began his injury comeback with a P19 finish. The gap to Acosta? 1.4s.
That’s FP1 in the books then, with the fastest 16 riders split by under a second. Coming up, the all-important Practice session at 3 pm local time. Don’t miss it.
Tony Arbolino (14) at Catalunya. Photo courtesy Fantic.
Tony Arbolino was quickest during Moto2 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Pirelli-shod REDS Fantic Racing Kalex on the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) track, the Italian rider recorded a 1:33.074 to lead the field of 29 riders.
David Alonso was the best of the rest with a 1:33.116 on his CFMOTO Inde Team Kalex.
Izan Guevara was third-fastest with a 1:33.169 on his BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts finished the opening session in 27th with a 1:35.256 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
David Almansa (22) and Máximo Quiles (28) at Misano. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
David Almansa was quickest during Moto3 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, in Austria. Riding his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard covered the 2.7-mile (4.35 km) road course in 1:40.595, topping the field of 26 riders.
Maximo Quiles was the best of the rest with a 1:41.243 on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM.
Adrian Fernandez was third with a lap time of 1:41.289 on his Leopard Racing Honda.
Thomas Modlmeier imports, distributes, and sells Stahlbus one-way brake bleeder valves, quick
disconnect brake line fittings, quick oil change valves, and other fittings
Sometimes it’s the little things that make big differences. Stahlbus began after Martin Maszull had done dozens of brake fluid changes and, according to the company website, “was simply fed up with constantly ruining the freshly painted caliper and being always at loggerheads with his girlfriend when bleeding the system.”
Maszull went on to invent the Stahlbus one-way brake caliper bleeder valve, which has reduced the amount of profanity in garages and shops around the world by an inestimable amount.
A bleeder valve (arrow a) on a caliper; a blue quick-disconnect brake line fitting (arrow b) allows changing or removing the caliper without re-bleeding it.
Similarly, Thomas Modlmeier had a simple idea: a family-run, online business to keep him busy in his later years and something to hand down to his children or grandchildren. He hooked up with Maszull, who he refers to as “a brother,” and became the U.S. distributor for Stahlbus, creating a company whose products have quietly established a presence on bikes across the country.
Modlmeier, age 62, of Munich, started riding mopeds at 16 in Germany and got his first motorcycle when he was 18. Somewhere along the way, he purchased his forever motorcycle—a BMW 75/6—which has been with him for years and travels when he relocates. Which he has, many times.
Modlmeier connecting to BMW was not unusual for someone mechanically minded working in Munich. “If you lived in Munich, you worked for BMW,” he says. He trained as a collision damage repair specialist through Germany’s rigorous apprenticeship system and earned both journeyman and master certifications. His skills and experience led BMW to relocate him to New York, where he spent four years of his life with the company in Manhattan. When his contract was up, Modlmeier’s patience with the weather was up as well.
“New York has pretty much the same weather in Munich. So it rains, it snows, and all this kind of stuff. And I literally said, you know what? I’m done with this crap. I want something different. So I had a Jeep and a trailer and a boat, and I just packed everything to the gills and drove in three weeks from New York, from Queens to San Diego.”
Modlmeier worked for the Penske automotive operation in San Diego, enjoying the sunshine and putting miles on his motorcycles—his favorite being a Triumph 675. Modlmeier put in time upgrading the suspension and running gear to match his needs and his aesthetic. Tinkering, repairing, building, all are rewarding to Modlmeier, and it’s a philosophy he has lived by. “I don’t like to buy things I can build,” he says.
On one of his trips back to Germany, he met Maszull and the two struck up a friendship. Maszull eventually started looking for people to market his devices, and Modlmeier was looking for something beyond his collision repair career.
“Sometimes you meet people in your life and you think like, oh, I can associate. He has the same ideas, the same, you know, hobbies and all this kind of stuff,” Modlmeier says. “You just e-mail, make a call, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ And then during one of these calls, he just says, ‘When are you coming next time?’ And when I come back, he just literally says, ‘Hey, this is what I’m doing. What do you think? Can we do this over there?’ And I said, ‘Let me try it. And that’s how we started out.”
From the beginning, the bleeder valves have been the main seller for the company. At any given moment, Modlmeier has between $80,000 and $150,000 worth of inventory on hand, and the bleeder valves make up most of it. (For those who are not familiar with the valves, they replace the usual brake bleeder valve on the caliper and can be set for one-way operation. You attach the bleeder hose as normal and pump the brake lever, and brake fluid comes out but does not get sucked back into the system. The valves simplify and speed up
a process that is, under the best of circumstances, slow and fraught with the possibility of getting highly corrosive brake fluid onto painted parts.)
The red Stahlbus quick-disconnect brake-line fitting seen here makes it possible to quickly change a crash-damaged master cylinder without bleeding.
And it’s not just motorheads who have found the magic of the valves. Modlmeier says his customer base includes people who are using them for all kinds of non-motorcycle applications.
“I would go to shows and all of a sudden, people are coming up, saying things like, ‘I have a helicopter. Can I use it for the helicopter?’ And I’m like, ‘It was not designed for the helicopter. But if it works for the helicopter, why not?’ See, that’s it. And people started using it for different applications, applications we never thought about it,” Modlmeier says. “We have private pilots, we have so many different diverse people buying our stuff now. There is a guy in Washington state who builds mini submarines who is using them. Every time, when it comes up from a dive, he has air from the depth in the lines. So he uses a drain valve to get the air out. They get used for all kinds of weird stuff.”
Stahlbus fittings.
The company is also known for its quick-disconnect hydraulic fittings that allow for caliper and master-cylinder changes without re-bleeding the brake system, and also offers quick oil change valves.
A Stahlbus quick-attach drain fitting (with hose) reduces mess related to changing bike, car, or truck oil.
Modlmeier spends a fair amount of his time on the road at shows, and still enjoys working with his hands. Which led, in part, to the decision to purchase property in and move to Rising Fawn, Georgia. Modlmeier wanted to own a building for his operation, and land costs in Southern California made that impossible for an operation the size of Stahlbus.
And Modlmeier is not only going to own his own building, he’s going to build it himself. His
new facility will be roughly 30 or 40 feet by 50 feet, designed to with stand regional weather—including tornadoes—and will serve as both workspace and showroom.
Heather Modlmeier works with parts.
But the operation is more than just a business to Modlmeier. He wanted to stay busy after his retirement, and the U.S. Stahlbus operation allows him to stay exactly as busy as he wants as he transitions into his later years. And he wanted to leave something behind for his family when he steps away from business entirely.
“It was designed so we always have something to do,” Modlmeier says. “And later, maybe we give it to our kids or grandchildren—so they don’t have to start from zero.”
MotoGP Race start at Misano. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams are heading to the Red Bull Ring this weekend for Round 15 of the 2026 FIM MotoGP World Championship. Following the San Marino round, the paddock returns to action from September 18-20, with all three classes set to take on the fast and technical 2.7-mile (4.35-kilometer) circuit in Spielberg, Austria. As the championship battle enters its final stages, every point becomes increasingly important. Below, find the latest team press releases ahead of the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Austria.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Aprilia Racing renews the challenge at the Austrian GP.
Just a few days after the Misano race, Aprilia Racing is back at the track in Styria for the fifteenth GP of the season, the final one before the overseas stage of the championship begins.
Jorge Martín heads to Austria after a positive week in Misano which, however, had a complicated ending. After taking third in the sprint race, the Spanish rider finished the long race fifth, conditioned by presumed compartment syndrome. Therefore, the goal in Austria will be to assess his physical condition in order to tackle the weekend in the best possible conditions.
On the other hand, for Marco Bezzecchi, the Austrian GP will be a chance to turn the page after a long race in Misano that ended early for him after a crash on the first lap. The Italian rider will be picking up from where he left off on Friday and Saturday in Misano – with pole position and the all-time lap record, as well as his podium finish in the sprint race – to aim for a return to battling for the top spots.
Previously known as the Österreichring, this historic circuit is located in the Styria region of Austria. The track is 4.35 km long and has 10 corners with a 65-metre range in elevation. From 2022, in order to increase safety, a chicane was introduced on turn 2, thereby making the layout different from the one used in Formula 1.
Jorge Martin (89) at Misano. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Jorge Martin: “Misano did not go exactly as we expected. Despite this, we’ll hold onto the positive aspects, because in the long race, I had a good feeling, a good pace, and I was riding the way I like to up until I began to feel my forearm tightening up. After Austria, we’ll evaluate how to tackle this physical problem, and we’ll examine the possible solutions. Aprilia continues to do an outstanding job to help me find the right feeling and go into the weekend with as few doubts as possible. Now we need to focus on Austria, which is a track I like. I’d like to thank the team for the work they’re doing and the fans who supported us for the entire weekend in Misano. The atmosphere was spectacular.”
Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Misano. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Marco Bezzecchi: “I’m obviously disappointed about the Misano race, but the positive thing is that Austria is coming up straight away. Getting back in the saddle as quickly as possible after a mistake is fundamental. I’m clearly sorry about the crash, but we are taking away a lot of positive things from Misano: speed, the pole position, and my best result in a sprint race this season. The mistake in the Misano race obviously hurts, but we’ll try to transform that pain into grit for Austria.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Continue Action in Austria. The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team have travelled straight from Misano to Spielberg for Round 15 of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship: the Grand Prix of Austria.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team resume the 2026 MotoGP racing action at the Spielberg circuit in Austria this weekend. The Grand Prix of Austria is always a round that the team look forward to due to its great location and atmosphere.
With Round 15 being the last EU GP before the overseas, Fabio Quartararo is keen to push again. The Frenchman, who currently sits in 15th place in the standings, has scored multiple premier class podiums there. He secured third place in Austria on his YZR-M1 in 2019, repeated the feat in the 2021 Styrian GP, and took a second place in Spielberg in 2022.
Álex Rins’ race in Misano ended early due to a migraine and severe nausea. The Spaniard has focused on recovering before this weekend’s action commences. He is currently in 20th position in the overall classification and keen to score points in the Austrian GP. He stood on the podium there once in 2016 for a third place in Moto2. His best MotoGP result there is a sixth place.
The Spielberg circuit was constructed in 1969 and was rebuilt in 1996 to the track’s current layout. It hosted two Austrian GPs in the 90s and staged its return to MotoGP Grand Prix racing after nineteen years in 2016. It has been a fixture on the MotoGP calendar since, even hosting two consecutive GPs (Austrian GP and Styrian GP) in both 2020 and 2021. The 4.35 km track has a special character with only ten turns in total (three left and eight right corners because the layout includes a chicane) and multiple long straights, the longest measuring 810m.
Fabio Quartararo (20) and Alex Rins (42). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo: “Spielberg is a track where you need to be strong in a lot of key areas, especially braking and acceleration. We know what we need to work on. We keep pushing and trying to improve step by step every weekend. The race in Misano was pretty good, and the goal for Austria is to have a solid weekend again, put in the work, and see how much we can get out of the package here.”
Alex Rins:“I was disappointed that I couldn’t finish the race in Misano. I am okay now, and I’m looking forward to getting back to work again in Spielberg. We’ll focus on understanding the performance we get in the first session and then work on the areas where we feel we can make improvements. We know the challenges that Spielberg presents, but we’ll keep working and have a productive weekend.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director :“We now arrive at Spielberg for the back-to-back weekend. Spielberg is a very specific circuit, with heavy braking zones and long acceleration areas. It’s a track where we expect to get some good learnings. We approach the weekend with the same positive mindset as always, and we have the intention to work hard. Our focus remains on making the most of every session, gathering valuable data, and achieving the best results possible.”
More, from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP heads to Austria looking to build on Misano progress.
Just five days after the San Marino Grand Prix, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP returns to action at the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix. The team aims to leave behind the difficulties encountered at Misano while building on the encouraging progress seen towards the end of the weekend.
Just five days after the San Marino Grand Prix, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP heads to Spielberg for the Austrian Grand Prix, with the team looking to put the difficulties of Misano behind it while carrying forward the positive signs that emerged during the final stages of the weekend. The work carried out on the YZR-M1 at Misano provided useful information, and the team will now look to build on that progress as development of the project continues.
For Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Austria will represent a very different challenge. The Turkish rider has not raced at the Red Bull Ring for many years and his previous experience dates back to his early career in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, before some modifications to the track layout, meaning the circuit will be a relatively new reference point with the MotoGP bike. Jack Miller, meanwhile, knows the track well and has enjoyed strong results there in the past, including a podium finish in 2022.
The 4.318-kilometre Red Bull Ring is one of the fastest circuits on the MotoGP calendar, with just 10 corners, significant elevation changes and several long acceleration zones. The track features a 626-metre start-finish straight and a longest straight of around 810 metres, placing particular emphasis on acceleration, braking performance and top speed. MotoGP returned to Spielberg in 2016 after a 19-year absence, and the Austrian Grand Prix has remained a fixture on the calendar ever since.
The characteristics of the circuit will therefore present a demanding test for the YZR-M1, particularly on the long straights, but the team has continued working between Grand Prix to arrive prepared and is also waiting for further updates that could provide additional steps forward in the development of the bike. With another opportunity to evaluate its progress on a very different layout, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP will look to start the Austrian weekend in a stronger position and continue moving in the right direction.
Jack Miller (left) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (right). Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Jack Miller: “Looking forward to getting back to Austria. Obviously, after a difficult weekend in Misano, we worked really hard with the team to try to find a good setting. Unfortunately, a small mistake in the race ended our weekend early, so I‘m looking forward to bouncing back in Austria. Hopefully we can arrive with some more energy, have a better relationship with both the bike and the track, and keep working to improve. It‘s a circuit I know well, so the goal is to get comfortable with the bike straight away and see what we can put together.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu:“Red Bull Ring is a track I have raced at before with the Rookies Cup, and I like the circuit, but this will be my first time riding the MotoGP bike here. It will be a new experience for me, especially because I raced here many years ago, so I need to adapt quickly and understand the track again with this bike. Normally Friday is not my strongest day, but this is something we really need to improve. I have been talking with my team about it and everyone is focused on making a stronger start to the weekend. Qualifying is very important for us because I need to start further forward to have a better chance in the race. I will give my best as always and try to adapt as quickly as possible. Hopefully we can find a good feeling from Friday, make a step forward in qualifying and put ourselves in a better position for the weekend.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Director:“Obviously, especially with Toprak, we will try to continue in the direction we have taken recently, which seems to be a positive one. We will also have some further upgrades arriving for the Austrian Grand Prix, so it will be an interesting weekend for us. We know it will be a difficult race because the characteristics of the circuit could put us under some pressure, particularly when it comes to engine performance. At the same time, I believe that in the last few races we have moved a little closer to the others with our overall setup, and Austria will give us a good opportunity to understand whether that progress can be confirmed on a very different track. We will look carefully at the telemetry and the data we collect throughout the weekend. If the performance we have seen in the last races is confirmed in Austria as well, it will be a strong indication that we are moving in the right direction.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol:
Marini alongside Nakagami for Austrian GP.
After a consistent weekend at his home GP, Luca Marini aims to replicate his performance in Austria as Takaaki Nakagami targets familiarisation ahead of his own home round wildcard.
Originally opened in 1969 as the Österreichring before its modern reincarnation in 2011, the 4.35 km, 10-turn Red Bull Ring – Spielberg combines three long straights with heavy, late-braking zones, rewarding outright horsepower and stability under braking above all else. Famous for intense battles down to the line and unpredictable events, it remains a circuit where the Honda HRC Castrol team will need every ounce of race craft and strategy to continue fighting towards the front.
Luca Marini heads into the Austrian Grand Prix as Honda HRC Castrol’s most consistent points-scorer through 2026, the only rider in the premier class to have taken points each Sunday this season. Having shown a clear step in his one-lap pace during the San Marino GP weekend, the Italian is looking to replicate this performance and continue chasing down the leading pack. He is again aiming to maximise his Qualifying performance before bringing home solid points and continuing his run as Honda’s leading representative in the 2026 championship standings.
Returning to the MotoGP World Championship for the first time since the 2025 Japanese GP is Takaaki Nakagami, the Honda HRC Development Rider called in to replace Joan Mir. Having spent much of the year working on future projects, the weekend will give the veteran of over 100 premier class Grands Prix a chance to reacquaint himself with the Honda RC213V. In the past, the Austrian GP has produced a steady string of point scoring results for the Japanese ace but the 2026 edition will have a different objective.
Luca Marini: “First, I want to wish Joan well and I hope he can be back on the bike with us ASAP – he is a really valuable teammate. Here it is all about hard braking and hard acceleration out of the corner, what we did in Misano can help us here. We remain realistic about where we are and our target does not change. Repeating a weekend like we had in Misano is our goal: show our pace on Friday and work well with the team to keep building step by step. It’s a track where a lot can happen, it’s really important to position yourself well and be ready to capitalize on anything that happens. Let’s enjoy and prepare correctly for the Asian races, starting in Japan.”
Takaaki Nakagami:“I arrive in Austria straight from a private test in Mugello, but we have been doing a lot of different testing of a lot of different bikes. This weekend will be about getting back up to speed completely with the RC213V and the Michelin tyres ahead of my wildcard at home in Motegi. Of course, I am sure that we will take this opportunity to try a couple of things that maybe the team wouldn’t normally so we can be well prepared for the future. The main thing is to make sure that Joan is OK, this is the key point in this difficult moment for him.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
Ducati Lenovo Team ready to return to the track: stop at the Austrian Ring, where 10 years ago the journey that changed the history of the Desmosedici GP began.
The MotoGP paddock heads to Styria for the 15th round of the 2026 season. A track rich in history and unforgettable memories, where it all began 10 years ago: in 2016, it was indeed Andrea Iannone who brought the Borgo Panigale manufacturer back to victory in MotoGP, kicking off a decade of extraordinary and uninterrupted dominance. From that moment on, the Desmosedici GP managed to claim at least one victory at the Red Bull Ring every single year for 10 consecutive seasons (if we consider Jorge Martín’s triumph in the 2021 Styrian GP). A true technical and sporting dominance, demonstrated by Andrea Dovizioso’s 3 victories, Pecco Bagnaia’s 3 wins, and the victories achieved by Andrea Iannone, Jorge Lorenzo, Jorge Martín, and Marc Márquez.
Marc arrives in Austria looking to capitalize on his momentum, riding high after a perfect weekend in Misano where he claimed another full haul of 37 points, thus completing an extraordinary 102-point comeback to retake top spot in the general standings (while Ducati also reclaimed the top spot in the constructors’ standings).
After a complicated weekend in Misano, where he struggled to find the ideal feeling with the bike, Pecco is preparing to tackle a circuit that historically suits his riding style very well. Backed by the results and victories achieved here in recent years, the Italian rider is determined to return as a key player and rediscover the best feeling right from the initial sessions on track.
Francesco Bagnaia (left) and Marc Marquez (right). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Marc Márquez (#93, Ducati Lenovo Team): “We come off a perfect weekend: the victory at Misano gave me a huge boost, also thanks to the support of so many Ducatisti fans. Here in Austria, I was competitive last year, and together with the whole Team, we need to make the most of this positive momentum as we continue to fight with the best”.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63, Ducati Lenovo Team): “In Misano, it wasn’t easy to end the weekend with a crash in front of all the fans, but we have to keep working together with the Team. Austria is a track where historically Ducati has always managed to make a difference and where I’ve achieved great results in the past. We won’t give up and we’ll keep pushing to be back at the front”.
More, from a press release issued by VR46 Team:
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is back on track right away for the Austrian GP, fifteenth round of the 2026 campaign.
There’s no time to rest, MotoGP is back in action this weekend at Spielberg for the fifth back-to-back round of the season. The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team – which got a third-place finish in 2023 – is ready to face the Austrian GP with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, who are pumped up from the home crowd.
After a more challenging than expected Misano round, Di Giannantonio is eager to be back on top positions in Austria, where he arrives in fourth place in the World Standing with 223 points. The goal for the Styrian weekend is to turn the potential he has shown into results and return to the podium.
At the Austrian track, Morbidelli claimed a second place in 2016 and a victory in 2017 (both in Moto2): these results – together with the steps forward he has shown in the last races – give Franco plenty of confidence and a positive outlook heading into the Austrian GP. The goal for the Italian-Brazilian rider – currently sixteenth in the overall standings with 56 points – is to build on and confirm his recent progress.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will hit the track on Friday for free practice, while qualifying will take place on Saturday at 10:50 (local time). The Sprint will get underway at 3:00 pm (local time) on Saturday, while the Austrian GP will conclude on Sunday with the main race, starting at 2:00 pm (local time).
Fabio Di Giannantonio at Misano. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “I am happy to be back on track right away, because in Misano weekend we did everything in the right way, but some things could have been better. Anyway, we are showing a great speed on every track and this gives us confidence even if we’re heading to a track where I struggled in the past. We are fourth in the World Standing, and we are doing a great work, aiming to get the results we deserve in Austria.”
Franco Morbidelli (21) at Misano. Photo courtesy VR46 Team.
Franco Morbidelli: “The Austrian circuit is completely different from Misano and it suits our bike very well. Ducati has always been very strong on this track and this is positive. I am very confident also because I got great results here in the past. The team and I are working very well, so we just need to work in the same way to start the weekend with a positive Friday as we’re doing. Then we have to keep the same trend throughouth the three days.”
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