04:28
Marc Marquez splits the Aprilias
Marc Marquez delivers, leaping from eighth to second place and breaking the Aprilia front row sweep.
The reigning champion then runs wide, but will get one last chance for pole.
2mins to go.
Marco Bezzecchi, Marc Marquez, 2026 Thai MotoGP
© Gold & Goose
Thai MotoGP sprint as it happened: Dramatic Marquez/Acosta clash decides win
Live updates from Saturday’s Sprint race at the 2026 Thai MotoGP at Buriram.
KEY MOMENTS:
- Polesitter Marco Bezzecchi crashes from the lead early on
- Francesco Bagnaia fails to advance beyond Qualifying 1.
- The Buriram Sprint starts at 3pm.
- 2026 Thai MotoGP, Buriram: Latest Results
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
28 Feb 2026
04:27
Raul Fernandez second
Raul Fernandez splits the factory Aprilia riders with second.
04:26
Marc Marquez down to 8th
Ai Ogura makes it all four Aprilias in the top six, Marc Marquez is demoted to eighth.
4mins to go.
04:24
The final run
After a tyre change, riders leave the pits for the final qualifying run.
04:22
Opening run over
The opening Qualifying 2 run ends with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) ahead of Jorge Martin (Aprilia), Raul Fernandez (Aprilia), Pedro Acosta (KTM), Fabio di Giannantonio (Ducati), Alex Marquez (Ducati), Marc Marquez (Ducati), Joan Mir (Honda), Ai Ogura (Aprilia), Brad Binder (KTM), Johann Zarco (Honda) and Franco Morbidelli (Ducati).
There are some worried faces in the factory Ducati pits.
04:21
Aprilia front row
Trackhouse Aprilia's Raul Fernandez slots into third for an all-Aprilia front row with nine minutes to go.
04:20
Bezzecchi improves again
Bezzecchi pushes his provisional pole advantage to 0.349s over Jorge Martin.
04:19
Aprilia from Aprilia
Marco Bezzecchi and team-mate Jorge Martin move straight to the top on their first flying laps. Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez best of the rest.
04:17
Marc Marquez has got the KTMs of Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta in his tow for the start of Qualifying 2.
04:16
Qualifying 2 begins
Here we go... Marco Bezzecchi has got to be the favourite for pole after being fastest in the pre-season test and all three practice sessions so far this weekend. But he also suffered a fall this morning.
04:09
Qualifying 2
The Qualifying 2 line-up:
Marco BEZZECCHI
Marc MARQUEZ
Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO
Pedro ACOSTA
Jorge MARTIN
Alex MARQUEZ
Joan MIR
Brad BINDER
Ai OGURA
Johann ZARCO
Luca MARINI
Raul FERNANDEZ
Franco MORBIDELLI
04:08
Raul Fernandez and Franco Morbidelli advance
Raul Fernandez and Franco Morbidelli advance to Qualifying 2.
The rest of the riders will start in this order from 13th on the grid onwards:
13. Francesco Bagnaia
14. Luca Marini
15. Diogo Moreira
16. Fabio Quartararo
17. Maverick Vinales
18. Jack Miller
19. Alex Rins
20. Enea Bastianini
21. Toprak Razgatlioglu
22.Michele Pirro
04:06
Bagnaia out of Qualifying 2!
Francesco Bagnaia fails to improve and will not advance to Qualifying 2. A nightmare start to the season for the former double champion.
Franco Morbidelli crashes at the Turn 3 hairpin.
04:05
Another mistake by Bagnaia
Francesco Bagnaia makes another mistake, this time at Turn 8, where he runs wide on the exit. He has one more chance to try and overhaul Raul Fernandez or Franco Morbidelli ahead.
04:02
Bagnaia in trouble
Francesco Bagnaia is still in third place with just 3mins to go. He ran wide at Turn 3 hairpin.
04:00
Pressure on Bagnaia
The final run begins with Francesco Bagnaia in third place and currently out of Qualifying 2. Jack Miller again tries to follow the factory Ducati rider.
03:57
No Time for toprak
WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu does not have a time credited after the opening run, it seems he exceeded track limits.
Fellow rookie Diogo Moreira is now fifth.
03:57
Aprilia fastest
Raul Fernandez, the only Aprilia rider in Qualifying 1, goes fastest by 0.3s from Morbidelli with a 1m 28.784s. Only Marco Bezzecchi's Friday record is faster than that so far this weekend.
03:54
Morbidelli from Bagnaia
Morbidelli and Bagnaia hold the early Qualifying 2 transfer places.
Diogo Moreira's two-tactic worked well and he's in third, ahead of Marini and Miller.
03:53
Tows
Jack Miller is trying to squeeze some more top speed out of his Yamaha V4 by following Francesco Bagnaia, but the Desmosedici is soon pulling clear.
Rookie Diogo Moreira is following the fellow Honda of Marini for the start of first MotoGP qualifying session.
03:47
Qualifying 1 line-up
The fastest two riders in Qualifying 1 will advance to Qualifying 2...
Luca MARINI
Maverick VIÑALES
Franco MORBIDELLI
Raul FERNANDEZ
Francesco BAGNAIA
Fabio QUARTARARO
Enea BASTIANINI
Diogo MOREIRA
Jack MILLER
Alex RINS
Toprak RAZGATLIOGLU
Michele PIRRO
03:46
Saturday Practice Results: Thai MotoGP
2026 Thai MotoGP, Buriram - Saturday Practice Results
03:42
Final Practice ends
Final practice ends with Marco Bezzecchi remaining on top ahead of Pedro Acosta, Alex Marquez, Ai Ogura, Franco Morbidelli and Marc Marquez.
Qualifying 1 next.
03:35
Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez have switched to a new soft rear tyre, but kept the old soft fronts.
Jorge Martin has the oldest soft front at the moment, with 20 laps, which is close to the 26-lap grand prix distance.
03:32
Diogo Moreira stoppie
Diogo Moreira does a huge feet-off stoppie under braking for the final corner on his way to the 13th fastest lap time.