The MotoGP Red Bull KTM crews end their important overseas development stage of 2025 with a season-best performance as Maverick Viñales led, fought for the win and passed the checkered flag as runner-up at the spectacular Lusail International Circuit. The 23rd Grand Prix on the Qatari asphalt ended a phase of testing and races that has included laps and competition in Malaysia, Thailand, Argentina and the USA and allows both the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 teams to now focus on the European leg of the campaign that will run until September.
MotoGP went under the spotlight for round four and the annual trip to the Lusail International Circuit for the sole night race on the Grand Prix slate. Promising qualifying potential saw Maverick Viñales and Pedro Acosta straight into Q2 and although both missed out on Sprint points Saturday evening as the KTM squads experimented with optimum feeling and tire data, there was more optimism for all four riders for Sunday’s contest.
The grid lights vanished but the big track lights stayed on for the 22-lap MotoGP spin and Viñales went center stage. Maverick hovered on the edge of the top four and took advantage of changing pace to conserve his tire potential. He hit the front midway and then maintained consistency to jet across the line with a very worthy P2: his first silverware of the season and his first in Red Bull orange. Sadly, a tire pressure sanction was then applied post-race and a 16 second penalty added, allocating Viñales with 14th. Acosta was trading track space mid-pack but then set his sights on further progression and reached the top seven at one stage. #37 eventually made it home in 9th, later adjusted to 8th.
Enea Bastianini’s customary Sunday charge produced P12 for the Italian (moved to P11). Two slots in front of Brad Binder who battled all race long but could not find the grip he needed to advance up the order. All the KTM RC16s grabbed points in Qatar.
2025 MotoGP now reverts to the central continent. The atmospheric Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto will host.
