Winners and losers from MotoGP’s United States G...

In some ways, america Grand Prix was the primary actual litmus take a look at of the 2026 MotoGP season. Whereas some could have anticipated a shake-up on the entrance, the aggressive order largely mirrored what had already unfolded in Thailand and Brazil.

That leaves one producer firmly established on the high of the pecking order, whereas MotoGP’s former benchmark faces an more and more steep problem to reply to because the collection heads to Europe.

Listed here are the winners and losers from the 2026 US GP.

Winner: Aprilia

If there remained any doubts about Aprilia’s aggressive degree after Brazil, these had been utterly dispelled at Circuit of The Americas. On a extra standard monitor and utilizing Michelin’s normal rear tyres, the RS-GP was simply as fast in race trim at Austin because it had been within the opening two rounds of the season. Though the European leg of the season is but to start, it’s now changing into more and more onerous to disclaim that Aprilia has displaced Ducati as MotoGP’s benchmark.

By way of tempo alone, the Aprilia was already a match to the Desmosedici at a number of races final yr, however the Noale manufacturing unit is now executing races properly to grab each alternative that comes its approach. This, largely, is right down to the truth that Aprilia is now not overtly reliant on Marco Bezzecchi to get the job achieved. Jorge Martin’s fast return to kind has caught many without warning, whereas Ai Ogura is lastly starting to indicate the promise that made him a Moto2 champion.

Make no mistake, Bezzecchi remains to be the spearhead of the programme, and his capacity to bounce again from setbacks within the sprints is unmatched. The Italian’s technique of going aggressive within the early phases has labored extremely successfully to this point. However Martin is now genuinely pushing Bezzecchi on the entrance, whereas Ogura can be knocking on the rostrum door. If solely Raul Fernandez may qualify properly, Aprilia’s depth may quickly make it extraordinarily troublesome to beat.

Loser: Ducati

Marc Marquez, Ducati Crew

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Pictures / LAT Photographs / through Getty Photographs

The producer that went on an unprecedented streak of 88 consecutive podium finishes between 2021 and 2025 is now in bother. The US GP marked the second time in three occasions that it failed to interrupt into the highest three.

The distinction with final yr’s Austin race is stark. In 2025, Ducati locked out the highest 4 spots on the Americas GP, with the highest-placed non-Ducati ending virtually 12 seconds down on race winner Francesco Bagnaia. This time, the Borgo Panigale model was looking at a seven-second deficit to the entrance – a exceptional swing of roughly 18 seconds in relative phrases.

Fabio di Giannantonio has been in distinctive kind this yr, and his pole place on Saturday was arguably the spotlight of Ducati’s weekend. However exterior of di Giannantonio’s ascent, not a lot goes the way in which of the Italian producer. The largest concern is the shape (and health) of seven-time world champion Marc Marquez, who was made to look relatively peculiar (by his excessive requirements) at Austin. However the long-lap penalty, Marquez was by no means within the groove over the weekend, and he sounded relatively deflated whereas showing for his post-race media interviews.

Elsewhere, the image seems to be even bleaker for Ducati. Bagnaia couldn’t convert his dash race promise right into a high consequence on Sunday, Alex Marquez is struggling to make an impression this yr, Fermin Aldeguer remains to be taking part in catch-up and Franco Morbidelli is well the weakest hyperlink within the line-up. It’s truthful to say that Ducati has its work minimize out within the three-week hole to Jerez.

Enea Bastianini, Pink Bull KTM Tech 3

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Pictures / LAT Photographs / through Getty Photographs

Enea Bastianini’s performances at Austin fell largely below the radar, however he was simply among the many standout riders of the weekend. Qualifying could not have gone his approach as he ended up because the slowest rider in Q2, however his cost via the sector was paying homage to his Gresini and Ducati years. 

On Saturday, he jumped from twelfth on the grid to complete fourth on the street, which grew to become third after Pedro Acosta was penalised for a tyre infringement. On Sunday, he even took the combat to Marc Marquez, the person who changed him at Ducati, finally ending simply two tenths behind him in sixth. The truth that even Pedro Acosta talked about Bastianini unprompted within the press convention reveals simply how spectacular the 2022 US GP winner was final weekend. 

Acosta himself deserves credit score for as soon as once more rising as the one rider to threaten Aprilia on Sunday. The RC16 is clearly a step or two behind the RS-GP and the Desmosedici, however Acosta has been proper on the cash. Very similar to in Thailand and Brazil, the Spaniard certified properly, stored the frontrunners sincere within the early phases and saved his tyres lengthy sufficient to stay aggressive till the end. It’s onerous to seek out any fault in his driving at this stage of the season.

Loser: Franco Morbidelli

Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Crew

Photograph by: Hasan Bratic / Anadolu through Getty Photographs

Seventeen seconds separated the highest- and lowest-placed Ducati riders in Sunday’s race at Austin, and each got here from the identical crew.

Franco Morbidelli endured one other fraught weekend within the US GP, however his outcomes had been made to look worse by these of Fabio di Giannantonio on the opposite aspect of the VR46 storage. Whereas di Giannantonio claimed back-to-back poles, Morbidelli struggled on contemporary tyres and couldn’t even escape Q1, struggling to twenty first on the grid. Within the dash, he couldn’t even beat Fabio Quartararo’s Yamaha, though the principle race supplied some comfort as he recovered to 14th place.

At a time when VR46 is engaged on finalising its line-up for subsequent yr, the distinction between the 2 riders may have critical implications for Morbidelli’s future on the crew. The Italian has amassed simply 14 factors from the opening three weekends, just one greater than Fermin Aldeguer, who missed testing and the Thai GP. Once you take note of the truth that di Giannantonio has already amassed 50 factors in the identical interval, Morbidelli isn’t left with a lot to say in his defence.

Toprak Razgatlioglu, Pramac Racing

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Pictures / LAT Photographs / through Getty Photographs

Toprak Razgatlioglu had already proven some promising indicators within the first two rounds of the yr, regardless that he was held again by the restrictions of the equipment at his disposal. However the US GP weekend was particular for extra causes than one.

First, he scored his maiden level in MotoGP, as he climbed to fifteenth in Sunday’s race. However extra considerably, he outgunned his extra skilled Yamaha stablemates, beating not simply team-mate Jack Miller but in addition the manufacturing unit duo of Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins.

Whereas Quartararo suffered a late tyre drop-off that despatched him tumbling down the order, Razgatlioglu’s clean driving model labored in his favour, and he completed solely a second down on Franco Morbidelli’s Ducati.

The Turk additionally impressed along with his one-lap tempo, and whereas he failed to interrupt into Q2 this time, he was solely two tenths slower than Quartararo. Whereas combating for a solitary level is probably not rewarding for the three-time World Superbike champion, he’s more and more rising because the second-best rider throughout the Yamaha roster, behind Quartararo himself.

Joan Mir, Honda HRC

Photograph by: Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs

Joan Mir could don’t have any regrets about lacking out on a possible podium with a crash within the dash, however he was definitely upset when he fell once more in Sunday’s race. Make no mistake, his qualifying try on Saturday was heroic, and getting that Honda to the second row was no imply feat. However factors are in the end what rely, and Mir got here away with zero from the weekend.

The Spaniard admitted that he was having to take dangers to compensate for Honda’s lack of pace on nook exits. However three grand prix DNFs aren’t how he would have preferred to start out the season, particularly when he’s clearly the quickest rider within the Honda camp.

It’s additionally worrying for the Japanese producer that Luca Marini and Johann Zarco aren’t acting on Mir’s degree. Whereas Marini did benefit from others’ misfortune to climb to fifth within the dash, a poor begin – resulting from an absence of feeling on the clutch – left him 14th on the opening lap in Sunday’s race. He may solely get well to ninth, whereas Zarco crashed out within the opening laps.

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– The Motorsport.com Crew