Marco Bezzecchi recovered from a dramatic late crash to beat Marc Marquez to Thai MotoGP pole position in an electrifying 2026 season-opening Qualifying session at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram.
Bezzecchi crashed on final attempt to improve his early Q2 benchmark lap time of 1m28.652s which stood only 0.035s ahead of Marquez, underscoring Aprilia’s dominance throughout the weekend and positioning the Italian rider as the early frontrunner in the MotoGP championship chase.
The qualifying process for the 2026 Thailand MotoGP unfolded across two distinct phases on Saturday afternoon, mirroring the high-stakes format that has become a staple of the premier class.
Q1 served as the elimination round for the lower-seeded riders in Friday’s practice where Bezzecchi had already smashed the outright lap record, with 12 competitors battling for just two spots in the pole-deciding Q2.
Raul Fernandez on the Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26 asserted immediate control, posting a blistering 1m28.784s on his opening flying lap to lead the field convincingly.
Fernandez, who had shown flashes of speed in testing, capitalized on a flawless out-lap and tire warm-up, dipping under the 1m29s barrier early and building a buffer of over three tenths to his pursuers.
Franco Morbidelli fought back valiantly on his VR46 Ducati GP25 despite a slow crash at Turn 3 midway through the session; the Italian remounted quickly, switched to a fresh soft rear tire and clocked a 1m29.090s to secure second Q2 spot.
Further back, factory Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia endured a frustrating outing full of struggles with setup tweaks that never quite clicked.
Starting third after the initial runs, Bagnaia bolted on new soft tyres for his second push but ran wide at Turn 3, compromising his momentum. Subsequent laps saw him loose on the kerbs at Turn 8 and overly cautious in sector one, ultimately settling for 13th on the grid.
Full 2026 Thai MotoGP Qualifying Results
Full 2026 Thai MotoGP Friday Practice Results
Transitioning seamlessly into Q2, the top 10 from Friday practice joined Fernandez and Morbidelli for the 12-minute Thai MotoGP pole shootout where every sector counted under the intense Thai sun.
Marco Bezzecchi was among the first riders to hit the track and immediately delivered purple sectors two and three on his first flying lap which yielded a 1m28.652s benchmark, missing his Friday practice best by a whisker.
Bezzecchi’s Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin shadowed closely, dipping under 1m29s for provisional second at 1m29.001s, while Raul Fernandez carried his Q1 momentum forward by slotting into third with 1m28.876s, ensuring a front-row lockout dream for Aprilia fans early on.
At this juncture, Ducati struggled to make ground with reigning world champion Marc Marquez initially slotting into seventh as he methodically refined his lines to claw back time after a conservative first sector.
As the session progressed into its dying embers, Marquez’s trademark adaptability shone through as he used Ai Ogura’s slipstream to mount his charge, pulling a stunning 1:28.687s—just 0.035s shy of Bezzecchi—to snatch second.
Bezzecchi, meanwhile, was on course to improve his early benchmark on his final flying lap but lost the rear of his factory RS-GP while trail braking for Turn 12 resulting to a crash.
Fernandez held off Di Giannantonio to claim third resolutely, as Martin slipped to fifth after a ride through the gravel marred his final push. Acosta was the best of the KTMs in sixth, four tenths adrift, while Alex Marquez claimed seventh for Gresini Ducati.
Ai Ogura climbed to eighth followed by Morbidelli in ninth with Joan Mir leading the subdued Honda charge in tenth.
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