MotoGP is back – Let the season 2026 begin!

The countdown is on for a season that once again promises to deliver top-level motorsport. This Friday, the two-wheel stars led by Marc Márquez will be back in action in Thailand. Will the title battle once again be fought out between the Márquez brothers? Can KTM rider Pedro Acosta mount a serious challenge this year? How will Austrian rookie Leo Rammerstorfer fare in Moto3, and how will the Harley-Davidson Bagger bikes cope with race tracks around the globe?

Nine months of pure racing with 22 Grands Prix in 18 countries: Radical rule changes are due to come into force in 2027, so this last season of the 1000cc era is destined to provide plenty of talking points. Between the launch event in Kuala Lumpur in early February and the start of competitive racing this coming weekend in Buriram, the rider merry-go-round for 2027 has been in full swing. Contracts are expiring, big names are changing teams and surprises are in store. Things will get really interesting in September when the first tests with the new prototypes for 2027 take place… where? That’s right – at the Red Bull Ring!

After his spectacular comeback in 2025 to win a ninth world championship title (seven of them in the premier MotoGP class), will Marc Márquez successfully defend his title and, at the same time, overtake the legendary Valentino Rossi in the all-time greats? The field of riders, which includes four other MotoGP ex-champions and a number of hungry young contenders, will not be deferring to the Spaniard in any way. Pedro Acosta, also from Spain, is considered to be one of the hottest prospects to make a breakthrough this time and claim a maiden title in the highest echelon of the sport. He will once again be competing for the Austrian Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team. Acosta has already made ten podium appearances, finished fourth in the World Championship in 2025, and has set his heart on the winner’s trophy in 2026.

Since 2017, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has been pooling its expertise in the premier MotoGP class to provide race power ‘Made in Austria’. Pedro Acosta (ESP), Brad Binder (RSA) and the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team around Enea Bastianini (ITA) and Maverick Viñales (ESP) have been charged with the task of making the RC16, the two-wheeled rocket built in Mattighofen, a true podium contender in 2026. After several victories and Top Three finishes – including 15 podiums in 2025 – the two racing teams intend to step up their game this year and celebrate another home victory at the Red Bull Ring. Want to see the KTM teams in action for yourself and cheer them on? Then don’t miss the race weekend at Spielberg (18th ‑ 20th September).

Austrian fans have been delighted by the news that Leo Rammerstorfer from Linz is to make his Moto3 debut in 2026. He becomes the first new Austrian rider to line up in the Motorcycle World Championship since Maximilian Kofler in 2021. The 21-year-old has previously competed in the Red Bull Rookies Cup and will contest his first World Championship season on a Honda machine fielded by Italian outfit SIC58 Squadra Corse. But there are also exciting new arrivals shaking things up in the premier class. Three-time WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and reigning Moto2 world champion Diogo Moreira will join the grid and showcase their talent on the most powerful bikes in the world.

Two thrilling races per weekend will once again entertain fans at the Red Bull Ring in 2026. The sprint format is retained, providing additional racing action on Saturday. Perhaps the biggest change this season concerns the rules that apply to an excursion into the gravel trap: if the bike’s engine continues to run, the rider may resume the race immediately; if the bike stalls, the rider must leave the race track and run-off area – restarts are only permitted in safe areas behind track barriers (tyre stacks, air fences etc). On the subject of tyres, this will be Michelin’s last stint as official supplier to MotoGP before Pirelli takes over in 2027.

Starting in 2026, two famous and powerful names in top-class international motorcycle racing will be joining forces: MotoGP and Harley-Davidson! The Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, held over six MotoGP weekends, will stage its season finale at Spielberg in the context of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. Yet another compelling reason to book your tickets well in advance.