Pedro Acosta’s rise in MotoGP has been driven as much by a change in mentality as by upgrades to KTM’s RC16, and KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer credited Acosta’s increased maturity, the RC16 improvements and a new “get what you can” mindset that abandoned an all-or-nothing style. Acosta summed up the shift: “I make fewer mistakes and use my brain more.” The revised approach produced more consistent fourth- to sixth-place finishes rather than risky attempts at wins.

That change translated into results on track. After three rounds Acosta produced his strongest start in the premier class and became the first KTM rider to lead the championship after winning a Sprint and finishing second at the Thailand Grand Prix. He secured his debut Sprint victory this season, has two Grand Prix podiums so far, has scored points in all six races alongside Jorge Martín, and turned an eighth-place Sprint at the USA Grand Prix into a Sunday podium. After six races he sits third in the standings, 21 points behind leader Marco Bezzecchi as he heads to his home round at Jerez on April 24-26.

Observers still point to limitations in KTM machinery that make a title unlikely this season, but the combination of results, mentality and the prospect of an Acosta and Marc Márquez pairing at Ducati has raised talk of a possible master-versus-apprentice rivalry should Acosta get a competitive bike. Acosta called teaming with the nine-time world champion Marc Márquez a “dream come true,” and Oscar Piastri echoed the sentiment, saying he wants to see Acosta “on a bike that can compete” and calling a title fight between Acosta and Márquez “really cool” to watch. The reported Ducati move was said to have been agreed before the season but remains unannounced while a commercial agreement for 2027 between manufacturers and MotoGP is unresolved.

Liberty Media has proposed introducing F1-style permanent reserve riders in MotoGP as part of a new commercial framework, arguing that factories should name one or two reserves who travel to every round and can step in for factory or satellite teams. The proposal is framed as a response to an expanded calendar and a heavier weekend format (Friday practice, a Saturday sprint and a Sunday grand prix) that organizers say has increased injuries and produced prolonged absences — cited examples include Marc Márquez, Jorge Martín and the pre-season injury to Fermin Aldeguer — and is intended to reduce reliance on ad-hoc stand-ins and improve competitiveness and readiness. The idea remains under discussion rather than a confirmed rule change.

Proponents have proposed mandating manufacturer reserves, possibly two riders per brand with one slot reserved for a young rider, and argue such a system could give Moto2 stars meaningful race-weekend exposure and become a pivotal development route if cost and logistical hurdles are addressed. Supporters say a formal reserve pool would cover frequent injuries, avoid situations where full-time riders cannot be replaced and mirror Formula 1’s permanent reserve approach, while Liberty positions the plan alongside other F1-style changes it has introduced since taking control in 2025.

Officials, teams and riders raised multiple practical and commercial objections. Manufacturers currently rely on test riders — such as Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso, the Espargaró brothers, Ducati’s Michele Pirro and Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori — who focus on bike development rather than being maintained race-ready; Pirro’s best substitute result in the last decade was fourth at the 2018 Valencia Grand Prix and he was over a minute off the lead when deputizing in Thailand, while Savadori scored points twice in 2025 with a best finish of ninth at the wet French Grand Prix. Critics point to the lack of MotoGP simulators, the need for extensive seat time, likely changes to weekend formats, riders’ reluctance to travel without a guaranteed chance to race (Alex Rins said “I wouldn’t be willing to do so”), and scheduling clashes with World Superbike — exemplified by the Nicolò Bulega case — as major obstacles. Ducati sporting director Davide Tardozzi publicly rejected the proposal as “not viable,” and teams warned they would be unwilling to risk their lead SBK or MotoGP riders serving as reserves. The proposal’s fate will hinge on whether manufacturers, teams and series officials can reconcile the operational, financial and talent-development trade-offs involved.

Ducati has decided to move 21-year-old Fermin Aldeguer from Gresini to Valentino Rossi’s VR46 squad for 2027, a manufacturer-driven reshuffle that includes factory machinery, a new livery and a contract option extended through 2028. Aldeguer, the 2025 Rookie of the Year who finished eighth overall and scored a Grand Prix victory in Indonesia, was reportedly denied a promised factory bike for 2026 and is said to have preferred to stay at Gresini. VR46 team principal Uccio Salucci confirmed interest at the United States GP, calling Aldeguer “a fantastic rider,” while Ducati’s activation of VR46’s factory-supported option for 2027 was a decisive factor in the move.

Gresini owner Nadia Padovani reacted strongly to the transfer, with sources saying the switch left her team needing two riders for 2027 after Alex Márquez’s expected departure to KTM. Padovani publicly rejected the idea that Ducati could force Nicolo Bulega onto Gresini, saying she would only sign Bulega if he were the best option; Bulega has been linked to MotoGP interest and is noted as a 26-year-old World Superbike front-runner with a dominant start to his season. Faced with a constrained pool of suitable replacements and limited manufacturer alternatives, Gresini briefly considered leaving Ducati and held talks with Honda and Aprilia, but after assessing realistic options moved toward renewing its Ducati deal.

Reports name Enea Bastianini and Moto2 prospect Daniel Holgado among riders linked to Gresini’s reorganization. The episode underscored the growing influence of manufacturers in shaping satellite-team lineups and the strategic value of factory support: Ducati reportedly mediated the rivalry between the teams as shifting alliances and contract timing reshaped bargaining power, and observers noted that a single high-profile rider movement can force rapid strategy changes in a market where top-level riders are scarce and factory backing remains a decisive advantage in MotoGP’s satellite ecosystem.

Aprilia has made a commanding start to the 2026 MotoGP season, emerging as the biggest improver and shifting the championship balance away from Ducati. The RS-GP26’s race pace, Aprilia Racing’s three consecutive grand prix victories — all by Marco Bezzecchi — and the team leading the riders’, constructors’ and teams’ standings have underlined the turnaround; Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola even declared the marque has “the best bike.” Sprint races and qualifying have remained tighter, but Aprilia’s race pace and consistency have quickly made the team a serious championship threat.

Marco Bezzecchi has been the standout performer, leading every lap of the three grands prix he contested and scoring 81 of a possible 111 points through the first three rounds — a 57-point increase on his 2025 tally. That total places him four points clear of Jorge Martin (81 to 77) heading into the Spanish GP at Jerez (April 24–26), although some reports listed Martin as the points leader on 77 after three rounds. Jorge Martin has nonetheless shown strong race form, collecting 59 points across the last two rounds, recording one Sprint win and two second-place finishes. KTM’s Pedro Acosta sits an early third with 60 points, up 44 on 2025, while Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez produced a double rostrum at Buriram and is +35 year‑on‑year; Ai Ogura is +12 despite a mechanical retirement in Austin and a technical problem at COTA that denied what would have been an Aprilia one‑two‑three. Aprilia have taken four of the six races so far when sprints are included.

The early surge has coincided with a notable downturn for Ducati and several established riders. Sources describe Ducati as struggling to mount an immediate response despite recent championship success (Francesco Bagnaia 2022–23, Jorge Martin 2024 and Marc Marquez 2025). Fabio Di Giannantonio is the best-placed Ducati after three rounds in fourth and is +6 on his 2025 tally, while Bagnaia is roughly 50 points down year-on-year. Reigning champion Marc Marquez has lost about 41–42 points after a technical non-score in Thailand and a crash in the COTA Sprint; Alex Marquez’s decline is reported at roughly 58–59 points. With 19 races still to run, the standings can evolve, but Aprilia’s early consistency, the RS-GP26’s rideability and riders’ growing confidence have already reshaped the championship picture.

Marc Márquez’s weekend at the United States Grand Prix at COTA was defined more by penalties, aero and injury issues than by his finishing position. A Sprint crash with Fabio Di Giannantonio earned him a mandatory long‑lap penalty — a sanction Márquez said resulted from a risky pass attempt — that cost him exactly 2.505 seconds when taken on lap 4 and dropped him to 11th early in the race. He recovered to fifth after an extended scrap with Enea Bastianini, finishing just 0.143 seconds clear of the Italian. Márquez said rivals “increase the intensity” when they race him and that Sprint mistakes and first‑lap penalties carry over to the main race.

Aerodynamics and “dirty air” compounded Márquez’s problems at COTA. He told reporters being stuck in dirty air made it “practically impossible” to ride competitively and estimated the effect at roughly a second per lap. The race also underlined wider technical gaps: Aprilia completed a one-two with Marco Bezzecchi (who won, Aprilia’s third straight factory win) and Jorge Martin, while Ducati staff acknowledged tire-wear problems at COTA and introduced short-term Aprilia-style rear aero and leg wings.

Ducati technical staff and analysts warned the team is playing catch-up after Aprilia’s winter step. Team principal Davide Tardozzi said further engineering updates are expected by Jerez as Ducati tries to close the gap. Tardozzi added Márquez was “not in good shape” following shoulder injuries sustained in Indonesia and will use the break before Jerez to work on his shoulder. Márquez said, “It’s me who’s missing, not the bike,” complained he lacked feel in the opening laps, that fresh tires made the Desmosedici feel “aggressive,” and that he needed six to ten laps to ride competitively. Despite showing strong mid-race pace — Tardozzi highlighted he could gain roughly eight tenths over 5–6 laps — Márquez sat fifth in the championship, 36 points adrift of the leader, and warned a turnaround was not guaranteed as he prepares to focus on starts and arm recovery before Jerez.

Marco Bezzecchi won the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on an Aprilia, while Toprak Razgatlioglu scored his first MotoGP premier-class point by finishing 15th after overtaking a fading Fabio Quartararo late in the race. “I’m happy with the point, but we were 25 seconds behind the leader,” Razgatlioglu said, underlining the roughly 25-second gap to the frontrunners and the limits of the Yamaha package.

Razgatlioglu credited Pramac teammate Jack Miller and lessons learned on and off track for helping him finish and collect a point, saying he had adopted a calmer, smoother “Superbike” riding style that helped manage troublesome Michelin tires. He also said he learned from following Quartararo during the event and from testing with Miller, but admitted weaknesses remained, notably in early braking zones, and he matched and then surpassed his 2025 crash tally in recent rounds.

Pramac director Gino Borsoi called the result “a morale boost,” and the team noted it was the first MotoGP championship point for the updated Yamaha M1 V4 package while stressing their ambitions remained higher and hoping it would be the first of many. Yamahas nonetheless filled the final four finishing positions at Austin, underscoring the gap to the Aprilia-led frontrunners, and Razgatlioglu praised the Circuit of the Americas and vowed to push for better results as the championship moved toward the European rounds.

Senna Agius, 20, won the Moto2 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas after the race was red-flagged and shortened following a multi-rider crash. The restarted race ran for 10 laps; Agius, who had qualified fifth, worked his way forward and made a decisive pass with two laps remaining to hold off Celestino Vietti and record his third Moto2 victory. Reports listed his winning margin at about 0.5 seconds (timed at 0.497 seconds in one account). Agius dedicated the result to his Intact GP mechanic Roberto Lunadei, who was killed in a road accident two weeks earlier, describing it on Instagram as “More than a win,” and he received public congratulations from Mark Webber. Because he is 20, Agius was unable to celebrate with a traditional shoey in the United States, where the legal drinking age is 21.

The race was halted after a large pile-up at the Turn 11 hairpin that was variously described as involving seven riders and specifically named Sergio Garcia, David Alonso, Daniel Munoz, Colin Veijer, Filip Salac, Alberto Ferrandez and Angel Piqueras. Reports said Alberto Ferrandez failed to slow and struck Filip Salac, and that Ferrandez and Piqueras were taken to the on-site medical center. Officials red-flagged the event and shortened the distance to 10 laps for the restart; pole-sitter Barry Baltus received a long-lap penalty for riding the wrong way under the red flag and was passed by Agius on lap three of the restart. Deniz Oncu crashed on the sighting lap before the restart, and Dani Holgado collided with Joe Roberts on the opening lap before serving a long-lap penalty that dropped him down the order. Several accounts noted that the crash, the shortened distance and ensuing penalties were decisive in shaping the final finishing order.

Agius rode for Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP on a Kalex with Pirelli control tires, Vietti finished second on an HDR SpeedRS Boscoscuro machine and Izan Guevara was third on Boscoscuro equipment for Blu Cru Pramac Yamaha. David Alonso was recorded as finishing fourth and Manuel Gonzalez fifth, with Joe Roberts ninth for the OnlyFans American Racing Team. Sources differ on some details: while one report listed David Alonso among the riders involved in the Turn 11 incident, others record him recovering from 17th on the grid to fourth; and summaries vary on the championship lead after COTA — one set of standings put Manuel Gonzalez on top with 39.5 points (3.5 clear of Guevara) and Daniel Holgado third on 33, while another account described Holgado as the championship leader. Moto2’s next race is scheduled at Jerez on April 24-26.

Marco Bezzecchi produced a lights-to-flag masterclass at the 2026 MotoGP United States Grand Prix in Austin, but the race’s defining moment came on the opening lap when he and Pedro Acosta made contact exiting Turn 11 while fighting for the lead. Bezzecchi emerged from the clash ahead despite chunks of bodywork and rear aero damage, and race stewards chose not to open an investigation. Both riders downplayed the incident as hard, competitive racing—Acosta calling it “hard racing” and pointing to gusting wind and having run wide as contributory factors—and neither assigned blame.

Bezzecchi led every lap to claim his fifth straight premier-class victory and reclaimed the championship lead, with teammate Jorge Martin recovering to finish second and complete an Aprilia 1-2 at COTA. Pedro Acosta recovered to third for Red Bull KTM and remained the top non-Aprilia rider; after the weekend Bezzecchi sat on 81 points to Martin’s 77 and Acosta on 60. Bezzecchi won by roughly two seconds (Martin finishing about 2.036s back), and the result shifted momentum at the front of the 2026 title fight.

The Italian had started fourth, muscled past early leader Acosta on lap one and then upped his pace from around lap six to open a gap of more than a second as he controlled the race to the flag. He had topped the brief warm-up earlier in the day and had crashed out of the Sprint while running second, underlining how close he had been to the limit over the weekend. Several reports credited Bezzecchi with setting a modern-era mark for consecutive laps led—citing 121 laps and noting he surpassed Jorge Lorenzo’s previous benchmark—though one account attributed that 121-figure to Acosta, so sources vary on which rider holds that specific tally.