Despite a late crash at Turn 12, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) will begin the opening spherical of the 2026 MotoGP season from pole place, however it wasn’t as comfy as he and Aprilia would have preferred, as Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) lurked simply 0.035s away in Q2. A 1:28.652 for Bezzecchi simply outplayed a 1:28.687 for the reigning World Champion, as Q1 table-topper Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) earned a entrance row begin in P3 to make it two Aprilias vs one Ducati on the entrance of the grid.
Q1: Pecco out as Fernandez and Morbidelli enter pole place body
And so, it was time. The first MotoGP qualifying session of the 2026 marketing campaign fired into life and after the opening set of flying laps, it was Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) who led second place Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) by a really wholesome 0.3s, because of the 2025 Australian GP winner’s 1:28.784.
This meant Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who was P3 in the opening half of the 15-minute sprint, had work to do. And after his first assault on the second outing didn’t arrive, and neither did the second try, the double MotoGP World Champion was up in opposition to it with three minutes left.
Then, whereas 0.001s away from Fernandez’s time, a mistake got here on the exit of Turn 8, which means – if tyres and gasoline load allowed – he’d have yet another lap to strive and penetrate the highest two. A pink sector was set once more in Sector 1, however it was session over for Pecco. The Italian sat up and out of the lap, which means the #63 will begin the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix from P13, as compatriot Morbidelli crashed down at Turn 3, which in the top, didn’t value the Italian a spot in Q2.
Q2: Bezzecchi vs Marc Marquez unfolds as 0.4s covers the highest seven
The large query coming into the pole place shootout was may anybody halt Bezzecchi’s sensible Buriram momentum? The reigning World Champion, Marc Marquez, would definitely be a chief contender in attempting to cease him, however it was a scruffy opening lap from the #93, because the Aprilia Racing duo sailed to an early high two. Bezzecchi set a 1:28.914, with teammate Martin simply 0.087s away.
This was all going to vary in a short time although. Marc Marquez improved however it was nowhere close to sufficient for P1, as Acosta – shadowing the 2025 title winner – obtained right down to a 1:29.063 for P4.
Getting right down to it was Bezzecchi once more. The pre-qualifying favorite improved his time to bang in a 1:28.652, with Fernandez stretching his legs to leap as much as P3 to make it an Aprilia 1-2-3 in Q2. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) had been at the moment behind Acosta on the second row, which means Marc Marquez had a mini mountain to climb from provisional P7.
That then obtained worse with Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) transferring as much as P6, as we strapped in for the ultimate 4 minutes of a incredible Q2.
In true Marc Marquez type, the shovel was out, and he was digging deep when it mattered most. Three pink sectors had been slammed in earlier than the 99-time Grand Prix winner misplaced a small quantity of margin in Sector 4, which means it was P2 for the Ducati star. 0.035s the hole to Bezzecchi, and with Di Giannantonio bettering to P4, Martin was now shuffled right down to P5 on his manufacturing facility RS-GP.
Turn 12, whereas pushing to extend his benefit, then caught out Bezzecchi. The entrance finish cried no extra because the #72 hit the deck on the last nook, however in the top, it didn’t matter. No extra large strikes had been made in the chase for pole place in Thailand, so the much-wanted P1 grid slot was the Italian’s and Bezzecchi’s for Round 1 – however solely simply.
YOUR GRID FOR ROUND 1
Pole goes to Bez, however Marc Marquez is true there in P2 after a surprising late Q2 lap. Fernandez makes it two Aprilias on the entrance row, a stunning pair of quick morning stints for the #25, as Di Giannantonio fronts the second row forward of Martin – who claims his first high 10 in qualifying with Aprilia – and Acosta.
It’s P6 for the lead KTM star in qualifying, whereas Alex Marquez is compelled to accept a disappointing P7 in Q2. Eighth and ninth – the center and exterior of the third row – go to Ogura and Morbidelli, with Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) set to launch from P10, P11 and P12, respectively.
COMING UP: SPRINT TIME
0.8s break up the highest 12 in a blistering Q2, and now it’s time to prepare for the Tissot Sprint. 15:00 native time. You know the rating. And should you don’t, then prepare for one hell of a trip. Let’s go racing in 2026, lets?
