2026 British MotoGP News—Saturday
Bez is back
Marco Bezzecchi put a halt to his wretched recent run of form by scoring a hard-fought Sprint podium at Silverstone. The Italian’s participation in England was by no means a given after undergoing surgery on the left collarbone he broke in Germany. Scoring third on Saturday understandably moved him to tears.
He also revealed a wound on his knee sustained in the same crash required further surgery, and was causing as much discomfort as the shoulder. “The injuries were both tough,” said the Italian. “The shoulder was a collarbone, it’s true, but the fracture was very bad. So also the surgery was complicated.
“And the knee at the end was just a wound. Very deep. So in Germany they closed it to allow me to fly, but I had to reopen. And when they reopened they saw that I also scratched my bone. So the surgery also in the knee was complicated. I made everything I could to try to come back here and it was not easy.”
Alonso and Moreira vying for factory Honda seat
David Alonso may have signed for Honda in 2027 in the belief he’d be in the factory team. But that is by no means a given with HRC also considering Diogo Moreira for the seat.
Cycle News understands Honda has been less than impressed with Alonso’s underwhelming Moto2 title challenge in 2026. Moreira, on the other hand, has enjoyed a steady, considered rookie campaign in LCR colors. HRC wants to see how Colombian Alonso deals with this pressure before making its decision.
“We are still waiting,” confirmed Team Manager Alberto Puig on the situation. It’s believed a decision will be taken before the Austrian Grand Prix in September. If Alonso ‘only’ receives a seat at LCR, he would essentially be there for two years as Moreira is a similar age.
Pol on 850 changes
Pol Espargaro made his first racing appearance since Portimao last November three days on from testing KTM’s 850cc machine at Mugello. And the Catalan had words of warning for 2027. “You cannot believe how much the category will change next year. How many riders are going to struggle in this new category, it’s insane,” he said.
The physical difference between riding 850s on Pirelli tires with no devices and limited aerodynamics is the biggest change, he said. “With the 850 and the Pirellis I can do two races in a row. It’s much much less physical. And with the 1000 bike, after two laps the heart rate is so high it’s insane. The level of the current 1000 bikes with the Michelin, it’s so brutal.”
Espargaro also believes the four riders that will step up from Moto2 in 2027 will be at a huge advantage thanks to their Pirelli experience. “It’s going to be a challenge for the current MotoGP riders on the 1000 bikes with the Michelin against the Moto2 riders who will come next year,” he said. “They are going to be insanely fast. It’s going to be a big challenge for them.”
MotoGP Sprint Race
Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) completed a golden Saturday at Silverstone by taking his third Tissot Sprint victory of the season, extending his MotoGP championship lead to 17 points over Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team). Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) completed the podium in third, giving Aprilia its first Sprint 1-2-3.
Martin made a perfect launch from pole and led Ogura into Turn 1, while Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) moved into third. Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) battled behind, with Marquez eventually moving into fourth at the end of the opening lap. Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) dropped to sixth.
Di Giannantonio challenged Ogura for second on Lap 2, but the Japanese rider held firm as Martin established a 0.5-second advantage. Fernandez’s strong weekend then unraveled when he crashed at Turn 4 while following Bezzecchi, promoting Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) to sixth.
Bezzecchi soon made his move on Marc Marquez at Copse to take fourth, before Alex Marquez passed his brother for fifth at Woodcote. Bezzecchi then began closing rapidly on Di Giannantonio, cutting more than a second from the gap before making his move at Copse with four laps remaining to claim third.
Di Giannantonio and Marc Marquez both struggled badly with rear grip in the closing stages. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) passed Marc with one and a half laps remaining, followed by Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol). Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) then relegated Marquez to ninth on the final lap, although the Ducati rider held onto the final championship point by just 0.027 seconds.
Martin controlled the Sprint from lights to flag to take three crucial championship points over Ogura, while Bezzecchi’s podium moved him into third in the standings ahead of Marquez. Alex Marquez led the Ducati charge in fourth, followed by Di Giannantonio, Acosta, Mir and Morbidelli, with Marc Marquez ninth.
2026 British MotoGP Results—MotoGP Sprint Race
| 1 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | 19:49.066s |
| 2 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +1.530s |
| 3 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +3.974s |
| 4 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | +6.956s |
| 5 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26) | +8.651s |
| 6 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +10.745s |
| 7 | Joan Mir | SPA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +10.826s |
| 8 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25) | +12.539s |
| 9 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +13.965s |
| 10 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Pro Honda LCR (RC213V)* | +13.992s |
MotoGP Qualifying
Q1 featured four former Silverstone winners in Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), but it was Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and replacement rider Iker Lecuona (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) who advanced to Q2. Lecuona produced a stunning final lap to secure second, while Quartararo narrowly missed out by 0.050 seconds and qualified 13th. Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) was 14th.
Q2 became a lap-record shootout. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) initially led before Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and then Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) took turns at the top. Fernandez set a new record of 1:56.181, but championship leader Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) responded with a sensational 1:56.160 to take pole by 0.021 seconds. Fernandez and Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) completed an all-Aprilia front row, while Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) split the Aprilia trio in fourth. Bezzecchi qualified fifth.
Alex Marquez was seventh, ahead of Morbidelli and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Lecuona’s impressive Q2 appearance earned him 10th, followed by Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol).
Bagnaia qualified 16th, with Rins 17th and Bastianini 19th. Home hero Cal Crutchlow (Castrol Honda LCR), standing in for Johann Zarco, impressed in 20th, just 0.020 seconds behind Bastianini. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and wildcard Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha Factory Racing) completed the grid.
2026 British MotoGP Results—MotoGP Qualifying
| 1 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | 01:56.160 |
| 2 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.021s |
| 3 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.189s |
| 4 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26) | +0.255s |
| 5 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.296s |
| 6 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +0.367s |
| 7 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | +0.379s |
| 8 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26) | +0.729s |
| 9 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.772s |
| 10 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | +1.162s |
Moto2 Qualifying
Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) claimed his third career Moto2 pole position for the British GP, setting a 2:01.483 early in qualifying that proved unbeatable. Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) came closest, finishing 0.300 seconds behind, while Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR-Biolec-MSI) completed the front row.
Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team), Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing), Ayumu Sasaki and Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW Racing GP) all progressed through Q1. However, the session was interrupted with just under nine minutes remaining in Q2 when Sasaki tangled with Mario Aji (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) on the approach to Turn 11, sending both riders into the gravel and bringing out the red flags.
Guevara retained his advantage after the restart, while Lopez looked capable of challenging for pole before losing time in the final sector.
Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) qualified fourth, ahead of Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) and Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team), who recovered from an earlier trip into the gravel to take sixth.
Friday’s pace-setter Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) qualified seventh, just 0.018 seconds behind Salač. Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) was eighth, followed by Roberts and Sasaki. Championship contender David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) failed to progress from Q1 and faces a difficult start on Sunday.
2026 British MotoGP Results—Moto2 Qualifying
| 1 | Izan Guevara | SPA | BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | 2:01.483s |
| 2 | Alonso Lopez | SPA | ITALJET Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) | +0.316s |
| 3 | Ivan Ortola | SPA | QJMOTOR – Biolec -MSI (Kalex) | +0.419s |
| 4 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPA | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.607s |
| 5 | Daniel Munoz | SPA | Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.782s |
| 6 | Filip Salac | CZE | OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.795s |
| 7 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (Kalex) | +0.813s |
| 8 | Alex Escrig | SPA | KLINT Racing Team (Forward) | +0.828s |
| 9 | Joe Roberts | USA | OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.861s |
| 10 | Ayumu Sasaki | JPN | Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.907s |
Moto3 Qualifying
Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) made history at Silverstone, becoming the first British rider to claim Moto3 pole at the circuit. It was a CIP Green Power 1-2, with teammate Adrian Cruces joining Ogden on the front row alongside Friday’s pace-setter Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3).
Ogden left it until the final moments to deliver his pole lap, producing red sectors throughout and ultimately taking top spot by around a tenth.
Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) suffered a major setback when he highsided during a flying lap and was taken to the medical center. He was subsequently diagnosed with a broken collarbone and will miss Sunday’s race, although he retains a 104-point championship advantage.
David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) completed Row 2. Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Cormac Buchanan (CODE Motorsports), Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) and Joel Kelso (GRYD Racing) rounded out the top 10.
2026 British MotoGP Results—Moto3 Qualifying
| 1 | Scott Ogden | GBR | CIP Green Power (KTM) | 2′ 09.126s |
| 2 | Adrian Cruces | SPA | CIP Green Power (KTM) | +0.274s |
| 3 | Valentin Perrone | ARG | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +0.332s |
| 4 | David Almansa | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +0.335s |
| 5 | Alvaro Carpe | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.459s |
| 6 | Adrian Fernandez | SPA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +0.717s |
| 7 | Brian Uriarte | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.725s |
| 8 | Cormac Buchanan | NZL | CODE Motorsports (KTM) | +0.765s |
| 9 | Hakim Danish | MAL | AEON Credit- MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) | +0.851s |
| 10 | Joel Kelso | AUS | GRYD – MLav Racing (Honda) | +0.851s |
2026 British MotoGP News—Friday
KTM allowed to address engine issues
KTM has been given the green light to open the seals on its 2026 engines to fix the problems that have caused a spate of technical issues in recent rounds.
The Austrian factory had recently been frustrated by the MSMA’s unwillingness to allow any sort of intervention. The manufacturers had to agree before KTM could take any corrective measures with the supervision of the authorities.
“We can confirm that we have received the necessary approval to proceed with the corrective measures related to the technical matter we have been managing,” read an official KTM statement.
The engines have not been checked before Silverstone, meaning the RC16s have recently been running with power turned down. “Sure some performance is missing,” said Pedro Acosta. “But nothing that will give us three tenths. KTM is working super hard to
make it not happen all the mistakes that we were having during the first part of the season.”
Steiner on Viñales situation
Maverick Viñales is absent from Silverstone this weekend as he recovers from the left shoulder issues that have plagued the last 13 months of his life with test rider Pol Espargaro stepping in.
It was reported KTM was on the cusp of replacing Viñales for the rest of the season after a heated few months during which the Spaniard has repeatedly criticized the factory’s management for how they handled his contract negotiations.
However, Tech3 Owner Guenther Steiner clarified his rider is missing as extensive tests at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre showed the left shoulder is still far from ready for racing. “The underlying thing is there is a health issue with his shoulder. I don’t know the exact detail. I’m not a doctor,” said Steiner.
Asked if he’d ever experienced anything like this situation before with a rider or driver in his career, Steiner said, “No. “Because normally, you know what the person has got and what to do. But at the moment, we don’t really know, not even the doctors can decide what is to be done.”
Quartararo explains Honda switch
Fabio Quartararo provided his reasons for leaving Yamaha at the close of 2026 after his hotly-anticipated Honda switch was confirmed over the summer break.
After eight years with the Iwata factory, the 2021 World Champ feels the time is right to change. “The first ones were better than the last ones. It was the right time to move. I need fresh air, new people, a new project, and I think I needed a change on everything, on the mental side and on the package side.”
Asked what convinced him of HRC’s plans, he explained, “We had many meetings with teams, and with Honda I had my questions really well answered, and this is what made me want to step there.”
Friday MotoGP
The opening half hour of Friday’s MotoGP session was relatively quiet, with Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and teammate Raul Fernandez leading the way. As the pace increased, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) made a significant move, climbing from 15th to fourth with 20 minutes remaining. The field remained incredibly tight, with the provisional top 10 separated by just 0.813 seconds.
Drama followed at Luffield when Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed while chasing teammate Pedro Acosta. Binder tucked the front and slid off, bringing out the yellow flags, but escaped uninjured and returned to the pits to salvage his Q2 hopes.
The final 15 minutes produced a flurry of fast laps, with Acosta briefly moving into second before taking the lead with a 1:57.535. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) soon bettered him, while Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) split the two. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) then set a new lap record of 1:57.035, only for Ogura to become the first rider to break into the 1:56s.
The closing stages delivered further drama, with both Acosta and Bagnaia crashing. Acosta’s earlier pace was enough to secure 10th and direct entry into Q2, while Bagnaia ended the session 13th and faced Q1.
However, the biggest surprise came from Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), making his return to action in spectacular fashion. The Italian produced a stunning 1:56.280 on his final flying lap, smashing the previous lap record by almost half a second and taking top spot by 0.335 seconds.
Raul Fernandez finished second to make it an Aprilia 1-2, with Di Giannantonio third. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) was fourth ahead of Ogura, while Marc Marquez finished sixth and Alex Marquez seventh. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) was eighth, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) ninth and Acosta completed the top 10.
2026 British MotoGP Results—Friday MotoGP
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | 1:56.280s |
| 2 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +0.335s |
| 3 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati | +0.398s |
| 4 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.500s |
| 5 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +0.530s |
| 6 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +0.733s |
| 7 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | +0.750s |
| 8 | Joan Mir | SPA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +0.831s |
| 9 | Jack Miller | AUS | Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.042s |
| 10 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.083s |
Friday Moto2
Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) set the pace in Moto2 Practice at Silverstone, establishing a new all-time lap record with a 2:01.815. The MotoGP-bound Spaniard was 0.095 seconds clear of Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), while Agius’ teammate Manuel Gonzalez completed the top three.
Gonzalez, the World Championship leader, finished just 0.200 seconds behind Holgado as the title battle begins to intensify. Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) continued his impressive form in fourth, one place ahead of Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), the leading Boscoscuro rider. Guevara sits second in the championship and will be keeping a close eye on Gonzalez heading into qualifying.
The recently injured trio of Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing), Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) and Mario Aji (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) all enjoyed strong returns, finishing sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.
It was a difficult session for David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), however, with the Colombian unable to find his pace and ending the day 22nd. The newly announced 2027 HRC MotoGP rider will therefore have to come through Q1, unlike championship rivals Celestino Vietti (GT Trevisan SpeedRS Team) and Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Biolec – MSI), who finished ninth and 10th. Ortola’s session included a late crash at Stowe but he retained a top-14 position and direct passage to Q2.
2026 British MotoGP Results—Friday Moto2
| 1 | Daniel Holgado | SPA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (Kalex) | 2:01.815s |
| 2 | Senna Agius | AUS | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.095s |
| 3 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPA | LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) | +0.272s |
| 4 | Alex Escrig | SPA | KLINT Racing Team (Forward) | +0.462s |
| 5 | Izan Guevara | SPA | BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (Boscoscuro) | +0.585s |
| 6 | Barry Baltus | BEL | REDs Fantic Racing (Kalex) | +0.365s |
| 7 | Daniel Munoz | SPA | Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) | +0.657s |
| 8 | Mario Aji | INA | Idemitsu Honda Team Asia (Kalex) | +0.775s |
| 9 | Celestino Vietti | ITA | GT Trevisan SpeedRS Team (Boscoscuro) | +0.875s |
| 10 | Ivan Ortola | SPA | QJMOTOR – Biolec -MSI (Kalex) | +0.882s |
Friday Moto3
Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) topped the opening day of the British GP, setting the Moto3 pace with a 2:09.568 as the 2026 season reached its halfway point. With all the major championship contenders securing direct passage to Q2, Saturday’s qualifying promises plenty of action.
As is often the case in Moto3, tactics played a major role, with late laps deciding the order. Perrone edged out home favorite Scott Ogden (CRESCENT Racing Honda) after the Brit briefly claimed P1 by breaking away from the main group. Ogden settled for a strong second, while rookie Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) impressed in third.
Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was fourth, ahead of Irishman Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse). Returning rider David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) was sixth, while championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) finished seventh.
Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA), Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) and Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) were among those who failed to make direct Q2 entry.
2026 British MotoGP Results—Friday Moto3
| 1 | Valentin Perrone | ARG | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | 2m 09.568s |
| 2 | Scott Ogden | GBR | CIP Green Power (KTM) | +0.010s |
| 3 | Veda Pratama | INA | Honda Team Asia (Honda) | +0.071s |
| 4 | Brian Uriarte | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.100s |
| 5 | Casey O’Gorman | IRL | SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) | +0.183s |
| 6 | David Almansa | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +0.236s |
| 7 | Maximo Quiles | SPA | CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team (KTM) | +0.270s |
| 8 | Alvaro Carpe | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +0.361s |
| 9 | Adrian Cruces | SPA | CIP Green Power (KTM) | +0.368s |
| 10 | Joel Esteban | SPA | LEVEL UP – MTA (KTM) | +0.375s |
