Conditions at the Lusail International Circuit were perfect for the 22-lap race, with temperatures cooling to 31 degrees as a reduced field of 16 riders lined up for the latest start on the MotoGP calendar (19:00 local time).

Bastianini had a strong start to gain two places on the first lap and sit seventh. Despite feeling some vibrations in the track’s five left corners, he was quickly involved in an exciting fight for the final podium spot with Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta and Ai Ogura.

The Italian’s race was complicated further when his earplug fell out late on. While he couldn’t match the late-race pace of Márquez or Ogura, ‘La Bestia’ passed Acosta for fifth on lap 19 to come home as the top KTM.

This keeps Bastianini’s excellent recent run of form going. As well as equalling his second-best result of 2026, this was the 28-year old’s third top five result in the past four Grand Prix outings.

There was reason to smile for Viñales, too. After starting steadily, the Spaniard gained two further places over the course of the race. He set his fastest time on lap 15 of 22, which showed he managed his energy well through the weekend. ‘Top Gun’ will now have medical checks on his left shoulder to assess its condition before the next round.

After a busy recent overseas run, Red Bull KTM Tech3 can now enjoy a few days of rest before heading to the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal for the penultimate round of 2026 from 20-22 November. 

Enea Bastianini: “It was a tough race. I was happy with my start; I kept a good line and was in a strong position for Turn 1. After that I tried to stay close to Pedro and Marc and fight for the podium. I was trying to stay calm and save the tyre for the end. But in the middle of the race, Marc disappeared. The worst area for us was the left corners, where we had a lot of chatter. This was something we had the whole weekend, but it seemed to get worse in the Sprint yesterday and today. Also, my earplug fell out so I was confused at the end! We did a good job. We were the first KTM. I’m trying to fight for the podium at the moment. I’ve been closer in this last part of the season. We have two more chances and I want to give my team a top three finish before the season is over. That’s the aim going to Portugal.”

Maverick Viñales: “It was a very tough race! I had to use a lot of my right arm to finish and I started getting arm pump. But I’m quite happy because I finished and also managed to keep a good rhythm in the middle of the race. This was something I wasn’t expecting. I tried to go forward but it was very complicated. Now the plan is to go to the doctor’s next week to do the medical checks and see how the shoulder is. Obviously, something isn’t right because I don’t feel anything has improved lately, plus I am in more pain now than before. Let’s see the results there."

Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “We're really happy with the strong result here in Qatar for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team, and Enea has delivered another great weekend. It wasn't an easy weekend, and we expected it to be difficult, but Enea was fast at every important moment. He went straight into Q2 on Friday, finished a strong eighth on Saturday, and today, thanks to another really strong end to the race, he finished fifth and was the first KTM. The whole team is delighted, and Enea has once again secured his place in the championship top 10. That's a second top five in a row after Sepang, and he's clearly found the confidence with the bike that he's been chasing for a year and a half. It's a real pleasure to see him riding our KTM.

"On the other side of the garage, congratulations also to Maverick. We know how difficult it is for him to ride at the moment, and we didn't really know what to expect today. He fought until the end and finished both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, which hasn't happened in the last few races. Job done.

"I'd like to thank the whole team for their hard work through these three races in a row. It's a really intense time of the year and everyone did a great job. Now we head home for a well-deserved week off before Portimão."