After a Friday practice sweep by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, MotoGP faces its first Qualifying and then Sprint race of the season on Saturday at the 2026 Thai Grand Prix.
Marco Bezzecchi dodged rain spots and strong winds to set a new lap record on Friday afternoon, pushing him almost half-a-second clear of Ducati’s reigning champion Marc Marquez.
Meanwhile, Marquez’s factory Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia was the most high-profile rider to miss out on a top ten place for direct Qualifying 2 access, and now needs to fight his way through Qualifying 1.
Behind Marc Marquez, fellow GP26 rider Fabio di Giannantonio, KTM’s Pedro Acosta, Aprilia’s Jorge Martin and Gresini’s Alex Marquez completed the Friday top six.
Joan Mir was the top Honda in seventh and Fabio Quartararo the leading Yamaha in 16th.
Joining Bagnaia in Qualifying 1 will be the likes of Luca Marini (Honda), Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM), Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia).
Marc Marquez took a perfect double victory from pole position on his factory Ducati debut a year ago, despite a tyre pressure scare early in the grand prix.
However, the nine-time world champion suffered three falls during this year’s test, when he was also battling sickness, and is competing in his first grand prix event since sustaining shoulder injuries at Mandalika last October.
Moto2 world champion Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda) got the early edge over rookie rival and reigning WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu with 18th vs 21st on Friday, but Razgatlioglu was only a fraction behind fellow Yamaha riders Alex Rins and Jack Miller.
Saturday’s MotoGP action begins with a 30-minute free practice, immediately followed by Qualifying 1 and then Qualifying 2. The first Sprint race of the season starts at 3pm local time.
Saturday schedule:
10:10am (local) / 03:10am (UK) - MotoGP FP2
10:50am (local) / 03:50am (UK) - MotoGP Qualifying
3:00pm (local) / 8:00am (UK) - MotoGP Sprint
Sunday schedule:
10:40am (local) / 03:40am (UK) - MotoGP Warm-up
3:00pm (local) / 8:00am (UK) - Thai MotoGP
Ducati looks set to lock in its rider line-up for the 2027 MotoGP season, retaining Marc Marquez and pairing him with Pedro Acosta to form one of the most exciting teams in years.
As far as the current market goes, Ducati looks like it has been able to have its cake and eat it. There are risks of disaster in this move, but the benefits for everyone involved - as the Buriram sprint has given us our first hint of - are worth the potential headaches….
Column ✍️
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP debut saw him crash, which he has blamed on an engine braking problem.
Read more ⬇️
Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez are split over their clash on lap one of the Thai MotoGP sprint.
Read more ⬇️
Pecco Bagnaia continued to struggle on Saturday at the Thai Grand Prix, saying he isn't able to adapt to the current conditions.
Read more ⬇️
Marco Bezzecchi has taken the blame for his crash out of the lead of the Thai MotoGP sprint.
Read more ⬇️
Jorge Martin was placed under investigation for low tyre pressure moments after finishing the Buriram MotoGP Sprint race.
Marc Marquez says riders must “follow the rules” after a penalty cost him victory in the Buriram Sprint, but wants to be informed sooner.
Pedro Acosta doesn’t believe Marc Marquez’s Thai MotoGP sprint move was over the line and thinks it was a racing incident.
Read more ⬇️
A KTM rider leads the MotoGP standings for the first time...
Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi was not happy with Marc Marquez’s Thai GP sprint penalty.
Read his reaction, plus Marquez, at the link ⬇️
Marc Marquez shakes hands with Pedro Acosta, but refuses to say if he agrees with the penalty when quizzed in parc ferme.
Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi is more direct, saying the move did not deserve to be penalised.
Acosta, who has finally won a MotoGP race, is justifiably happy but says it didn't feel like a win because Marc pulled over.
The pair are rumoured to be team-mates at Ducati next year.
Pedro Acosta scored a first sprint win in a dramatic Thai MotoGP, after Marc Marquez was penalised for an aggressive overtake.
Report ⬇️
Sprint race results from the 2026 Thai MotoGP at Buriram, round 1 of 22.
Pedro Acosta wins the Thai MotoGP Sprint after Marc Marquez is forced to drop one position for the earlier hard pass on the KTM rider.
Acosta makes his third attempt to overtake Marc Marquez into the final corner - and again Marc Marquez retakes the advantage on the exit.
But he's able to make the move stick with a surprise pass at Turn 8... Until Marquez launches a hard pass into the final corner.
Acosta runs wide, but rejoins in second.
Incident under investigation.
Marc Marquez makes a mistake under braking and only just clings to the lead ahead of Pedro Acosta.
1 Marc Marquez, 2 Pedro Acosta +0.230s, 3 Raul Fernandez +1.257s, 4 Jorge Martin +3.316s, 5 Ai Ogura +3.564s, 6 Joan Mir +4.690s.
Acosta launches another move on Marc Marquez into the final corner. Acosta and Marquez then ride 'bar-to-'bar down the home straight before Marquez retakes the lead into Turn 1.
Pedro Acosta is not letting Marc Marquez escape. The KTM rider is just a few tenths behind the factory Ducati.
Marco Bezzecchi arrives back in the paddock and walks into the Aprilia garage without taking his helmet off.
Marquez is 0.3s clear of Acosta, with Raul Fernandez +1.2s and Jorge Martin +2.2.
Diogo Moreira is 13th and Toprak Razgatlioglu 15th.
Pedro Acosta momentarily leads the Sprint by passing Marc Marquez into the final corner, but the Ducati rider slices back ahead on the exit.
Watch Marco Bezzecchi's crash from the lead in the Buriram sprint.
1 Marc Marquez, 2 Pedro Acosta, 3 Raul Fernandez, 4 Jorge Martin, 5 Joan Mir, 6 Ai Ogura, 7 Brad Binder, 8 Francesco Bagnaia, 8 Luca Marini, 10 Fabio di Giannantonio