2026 Red Bull Rookies Cup
Round Seven – Red Bull Ring
Beñat Fernandez clinched the 2026 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup by five points after a tense final race at the Red Bull Ring, where the championship battle continued all the way to the final corner.
Fernando Bujosa and David González shared the Austrian victories, but sixth and fifth across the weekend proved enough for Fernandez to secure the title. The Spaniard finished the season on 175 points, ahead of Bujosa on 170 and Ryota Ogiwara on 159.
Saturday delivered a particularly cruel twist for Kristian Daniel Jr., who crossed the line first only to lose his maiden Rookies victory through a final-corner track-limits penalty. Bujosa inherited the win, reducing Fernandez’s advantage to just four points heading into Sunday’s decider.
Ogiwara also remained in contention, but his challenge unravelled in an opening-lap crash that took Australian Archie Schmidt out of race two. Schmidt’s debut Rookies campaign consequently ended with two retirements, while Ogiwara remounted and retained third in the championship.
Race One
Kristian Daniel Jr. came within one corner of his first Red Bull Rookies Cup victory on Saturday, crossing the line 0.096 seconds ahead of Fernando Bujosa after 16 laps. A touch of the green at Turn 10 on the final lap, however, brought a one-position penalty and handed the victory to the Spaniard.
Daniel had claimed the first pole position of his racing career on Friday, ahead of Mateo Marulanda and Yaroslav Karpushin. The American converted that advantage into the early lead, heading the field across the line for the opening five laps.
Bujosa’s race started rather differently. Having qualified fifth, he dropped deep into the pack on the opening lap and crossed the line 16th. The Spaniard then charged back to fourth by lap six and second by lap seven.
David González took over at the front on lap six and led across the timing line for six consecutive laps. Bujosa then headed lap 12 and championship leader Beñat Fernandez lap 13, before Daniel regained the advantage for the final three laps.
With eight riders finishing within a second of the winning time, there was little room for error. Daniel reached the flag first, but his final-corner infringement turned a breakthrough victory into another second place, while Bujosa celebrated his second win in three races.
Fynn Kratochwil completed the podium after another determined recovery. The German was 11th at the end of lap 11, worked his way back to fifth entering the final lap, then gained another two places to finish just over three-tenths behind Bujosa.
Ogiwara produced one of the rides of the race, climbing from 24th on the grid to fourth after his qualifying crash. The Japanese rider also set the fastest lap, a 1m44.870 on lap seven, keeping his championship hopes alive.
Kiattisak Singhapong finished fifth, ahead of Fernandez, González and Marulanda. Kerman Tinez and Jurrien van Crugten completed the top ten, just under five seconds behind the winner.
Schmidt made a strong opening lap, climbing from 21st on the grid to 14th. The Australian subsequently settled into 16th, but crashed on lap 11 after completing ten laps. His best lap of 1m45.696 was eight-tenths from Ogiwara’s fastest and almost eight-tenths quicker than his own qualifying time.
Karpushin and Ethan Sparks both crashed on the opening lap. Guillem Planques and Carlos Cano went out on lap 13, with David Da Costa following a lap later.
Fernandez’s sixth place earned ten points and left him on 164 heading into the finale. Bujosa moved to 160 and Ogiwara to 159, reducing the seven mathematical title contenders who had arrived in Austria to just three.
Fernando Bujosa – P1
“Today was perfect. Well, the first lap was not perfect; I was P20. But I made a comeback. This is the result of a lot of hard training, hard work with all those who support me. My objective was to be in the top 3; tomorrow will be different because I just have to win. That’s what I should do.”
Kristian Daniel Jr. – P2
“I said yesterday I was gonna try to bolt from the front, and I did: a good start and pushed the pace. There were a few things I wanted to correct from yesterday. I was able to work on them because I was in front. This is going to help me tomorrow. The thing I’ll change is not touching the green on the last lap.”
Fynn Kratochwil – P3
“I was struggling, like, yesterday. The pace early was not good. Then I did a huge mistake; dropping me to, I think, 15th or something. I just kept fighting and overtaking and trying my best. The last lap, incredible. I know some things which I didn’t know before the race – some lines, gears. Race 2 can be better.”
Ryota Ogiwara – P4
“I’m happy about this result because I started from really, really the back. The bike worked super well, and I kept pushing. I had a good feeling, and it was a very good race. I am determined not to think about the points and the Cup. I have to come from the back again; I will just try everything.”
Red Bull Rookies Results – Red Bull Ring Race One
 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Pos
|
Rider
|
Bike
|
Time/Gap
|
|
1
|
F. Bujosa
|
KTM
|
28m19.123
|
|
2
|
K. Daniel
|
KTM
|
+0.000
|
|
3
|
F. Kratochwil
|
KTM
|
+0.336
|
|
4
|
R. Ogiwara
|
KTM
|
+0.432
|
|
5
|
K. Singhapong
|
KTM
|
+0.576
|
|
6
|
B. Fernandez
|
KTM
|
+0.704
|
|
7
|
D. Gonzalez
|
KTM
|
+0.807
|
|
8
|
M. Marulanda
|
KTM
|
+0.972
|
|
9
|
K. Tinez
|
KTM
|
+4.918
|
|
10
|
J. van Crugten
|
KTM
|
+4.996
|
|
11
|
S. Mounsey
|
KTM
|
+10.072
|
|
12
|
A. Daquigan
|
KTM
|
+12.778
|
|
13
|
L. Agostinelli
|
KTM
|
+13.682
|
|
14
|
G. Pugliese
|
KTM
|
+13.700
|
|
15
|
A. Fernández
|
KTM
|
+13.778
|
|
16
|
K. Ramadhipa
|
KTM
|
+14.302
|
|
17
|
A. Almeida
|
KTM
|
+14.459
|
|
18
|
T. Borg
|
KTM
|
+36.160
|
|
19
|
C. Borrelli
|
KTM
|
+36.202
|
| Not Classified | |||
|
DNF
|
D. Da Costa
|
KTM
|
+3 laps
|
|
DNF
|
G. Planques
|
KTM
|
+4 laps
|
|
DNF
|
C. Cano
|
KTM
|
+4 laps
|
|
DNF
|
A. Schmidt
|
KTM
|
+6 laps
|
|
DNF
|
Y. Karpushin
|
KTM
|
DNF
|
|
DNF
|
E. Sparks
|
KTM
|
DNF
|
Race Two
David González signed off his Red Bull Rookies career with victory on Sunday, breaking clear in the second half of the race while Beñat Fernandez and Fernando Bujosa fought over the championship behind him.
Ryota Ogiwara’s title hopes unravelled almost immediately. Starting 23rd on the revised grid, the Japanese rider was late on the brakes into the chicane on the opening lap, crashed and took Archie Schmidt down with him.
Ogiwara remounted but received a double long-lap penalty for causing the crash and eventually finished 19th. Schmidt was unable to continue and was sent to the medical centre, with the Rookies Cup report stating that he was nursing an injured finger. The Australian’s first Rookies season ended with 26th in the standings on three points.
At the front, Kristian Daniel Jr. led the opening two laps before Bujosa took over for the next three. Fernandez then headed lap six, with Daniel briefly back in front on lap seven.
González had been only 14th at the end of lap two, but steadily worked his way into contention. He reached fifth by lap seven and took the lead on lap eight, then led every lap to the finish. His advantage grew beyond two seconds before he took the flag 1.854 seconds clear.
Fynn Kratochwil backed up Saturday’s third with second, holding off Daniel by just four hundredths. Daniel had been instructed to drop one position for causing contact during the race and complied, before recovering to complete the podium.
The championship remained the focus behind them. Fernandez and Bujosa traded places during the final lap, before Fernandez ran onto the green at the last corner while fighting for fourth.
With Saturday’s outcome providing a timely reminder of the consequences, Fernandez relinquished the position to Ethan Sparks to avoid a penalty. He still crossed the line fifth, just 16 thousandths ahead of Bujosa, and that was enough to secure the Cup by five points.
Sparks’ fourth was a strong response to his opening-lap retirement on Saturday. Guillem Planques finished seventh and set the fastest lap, a 1m44.752 on lap 14, ahead of Giulio Pugliese and Sullivan Mounsey. Only four thousandths separated the Italian and the Briton at the flag.
Alfonsi Daquigan completed the top ten after Kiattisak Singhapong received a three-second penalty for failing to serve a long-lap penalty. Yaroslav Karpushin received the same sanction, while Cristian Borrelli and David Da Costa also had three seconds added when there was insufficient time to complete their long-lap penalties.
Carlos Cano did not start Sunday’s race. Kiandra Ramadhipa and Travis Borg retired in the pits, while Kerman Tinez stopped with a technical problem. Da Costa remounted after a crash and was classified 20th, one lap down.
Fernandez had led the championship since winning the opening race at Jerez, but his early-season advantage had dwindled dramatically. Three wins and three further podiums in the opening eight races delivered 148 points, before he scored only six across Sachsenring and Misano. Sixth and fifth in Austria added the 21 points that ultimately secured the title.
Bujosa’s late charge brought him remarkably close. Two wins, a fourth and a sixth across the final four races delivered 73 points, compared with Fernandez’s 27, reducing a 51-point deficit before Misano to just five at the finish. Second in the championship nevertheless marked an impressive debut Rookies season.
Ogiwara retained third overall on 159 points. Daniel’s two podiums secured fourth on 146, just two ahead of Kratochwil, while González’s farewell victory lifted him to sixth on 130.
David González – P1
“It’s the best way to finish my time in the Rookies. The first half of the race was tough; everyone was fighting very hard and I was pushed towards the back of the group. I had to ride very hard to get to the front, but once I got clear, I could run my own pace, and I got a very good rhythm. It’s been a great 2 seasons.”
Fynn Kratochwil – P2
“We changed the bike a little from yesterday, and it really helped. I felt very comfortable on it, but it was a tough race; the riders were all being aggressive to make the best of the last race of the year. I pushed hard also and got to 2nd. I saw that David had a huge gap. I tried hard but couldn’t catch him.”
Kristian Daniel Jr. – P3
“It was a bit of a different type of race than yesterday. The pace was a bit faster too. I’m happy with my performance, but perhaps I needed to be a bit more aggressive in the middle part of the race, because I just kept dropping back, and I didn’t think that David was gonna make such a big gap.”
Red Bull Rookies Results – Red Bull Ring Race Two
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Pos
|
Rider
|
Bike
|
Time/Gap
|
|
1
|
D. Gonzalez
|
KTM
|
28m13.187
|
|
2
|
F. Kratochwil
|
KTM
|
+1.854
|
|
3
|
K. Daniel
|
KTM
|
+1.894
|
|
4
|
E. Sparks
|
KTM
|
+2.338
|
|
5
|
B. Fernandez
|
KTM
|
+2.568
|
|
6
|
F. Bujosa
|
KTM
|
+2.584
|
|
7
|
G. Planques
|
KTM
|
+3.467
|
|
8
|
G. Pugliese
|
KTM
|
+3.653
|
|
9
|
S. Mounsey
|
KTM
|
+3.657
|
|
10
|
A. Daquigan
|
KTM
|
+7.238
|
|
11
|
K. Singhapong
|
KTM
|
+7.292
|
|
12
|
M. Marulanda
|
KTM
|
+7.508
|
|
13
|
A. Fernández
|
KTM
|
+9.371
|
|
14
|
J. van Crugten
|
KTM
|
+10.287
|
|
15
|
C. Borrelli
|
KTM
|
+10.291
|
|
16
|
A. Almeida
|
KTM
|
+10.559
|
|
17
|
Y. Karpushin
|
KTM
|
+10.584
|
|
18
|
L. Agostinelli
|
KTM
|
+15.290
|
|
19
|
R. Ogiwara
|
KTM
|
+43.323
|
|
20
|
D. Da Costa
|
KTM
|
+1 lap
|
| Not Classified | |||
|
DNF
|
K. Ramadhipa
|
KTM
|
+4 laps
|
|
DNF
|
T. Borg
|
KTM
|
+6 laps
|
|
DNF
|
K. Tinez
|
KTM
|
+6 laps
|
|
DNF
|
A. Schmidt
|
KTM
|
DNF
|
Beñat Fernandez – 2026 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion
“Well, I crashed in FP1. That didn’t help, but I knew I had the pace; these guys are not faster than me. I knew I could be fighting on the front. Before this weekend, I had doubts, same as any rider. I’m not saying, like, I’m the boss, like Marquez. Anything can happen, and I think that’s the point: you need to adapt to each condition, each moment, each situation. Well, you saw what happened; it worked out OK in the end.”
Fernando Bujosa – Championship runner-up
“I took it to the boys in the front in the first laps, but I didn’t have the best pace today. The bike today was different; in the fast corners, my front would start moving a lot, and I lost a lot on the exit of the corners. Yesterday, I was super comfortable; this is racing. Still, I tried; I’m 2nd in my first Rookie season, super, super happy.”
Red Bull Rookies Cup Points
|
||
|---|---|---|
|
Pos
|
Rider
|
Points
|
|
1
|
B. Fernandez
|
175
|
|
2
|
F. Bujosa
|
170
|
|
3
|
R. Ogiwara
|
159
|
|
4
|
K. Daniel
|
146
|
|
5
|
F. Kratochwil
|
144
|
|
6
|
D. Gonzalez
|
130
|
|
7
|
C. Cano
|
113
|
|
8
|
K. Singhapong
|
113
|
|
9
|
K. Ramadhipa
|
106
|
|
10
|
G. Planques
|
91
|
|
11
|
Y. Karpushin
|
85
|
|
12
|
T. Borg
|
76
|
|
13
|
S. Mounsey
|
72
|
|
14
|
M. Marulanda
|
71
|
|
15
|
G. Pugliese
|
63
|
|
16
|
E. Sparks
|
62
|
|
17
|
D. Da Costa
|
51
|
|
18
|
K. Tinez
|
39
|
|
19
|
A. Daquigan
|
26
|
|
20
|
C. Borrelli
|
16
|
|
21
|
L. Agostinelli
|
15
|
|
22
|
J. van Crugten
|
14
|
|
23
|
T. Varga
|
10
|
|
24
|
A. Fernández
|
5
|
|
25
|
A. Almeida
|
5
|
|
26
|
A. Schmidt
|
3
|
