From Italy, Enea Bastianini passed Acosta in the race on the KTM. This achievement was recorded as an important moment for the Tech3-KTM team. Bastianini showed his superiority, especially against bigger riders over long distances.
Performance Differences in the Race
During the race, while the three World Champions were running, the Tech3 rider Bastianini competed with Acosta and Alex Marquez. Bastianini quickly moved to fourth place in the sprint race, while in the Grand Prix, he maintained a calmer pace. Acosta, number 23, was immediately behind Bastianini in the first lap. Alex Marquez was right behind Bastianini at the start of the sprint but could not advance faster. The Tech3 rider progressed faster in terms of time. In the final lap, when Bastianini considered Marco Bezzecchi's black Aprilia to be larger, this made the rider a familiar force. Bastianini won four times in his series. This race lasted 1:43.041 minutes. Bastianini was 0.25 seconds faster than Marc Marquez. Marco Bezzecchi lagged by 1.3 seconds behind in the fastest lap for Motegi. The effect of the new asphalt also influenced the race results. Among the riders competing on hard tires according to Michelin's recommendation, Bastianini, the tire specialist, gained an advantage. Bastianini stated that this was a good synergy.
Rider's Statements
Enea Bastianini expressed the following when assessing the situation:
The moment has come, and everything works as I need it to. It was a very good interplay – even with the tire, which worked well. The grip was astonishing; I had a pace at the end that surprised even myself.
However, the record times were still a bit too slow. Marco Bezzecchi gained a lead of 0.08 seconds in the final lap by using the advantage from behind in the Tech3-KTM. Enea Bastianini left a gap of 2.5 seconds to Marc Marquez. World Champion Acosta reached the flag 14.5 seconds after Bastianini. Regarding Bastianini being faster than World Champion Acosta, the rider made a partial statement:
It is true, Pedro rode alone in the last, the other KTMs were much slower. After the event in Spielberg, we spent a lot of time analyzing it. I think it was a combination of several factors.
Looking at the World Champions standings, Italian Fermin Aldeguer scored points in the tenth position. It was a generally successful day for the Austrian; four RC16-F riders scored points.
Figures
- Enea Bastianini is in 11th place with 116 points in the 2026 MotoGP season (Tech 3).
- Archive: Enea Bastianini Judged a Penalty (October 3, 2026)
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Go to sourceCompiled by Şükrü Utku Poyraz
