MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Marco Bezzecchi ensured Aprilia Racing finished Friday as the benchmark at the 2026 Thai MotoGP in Buriram, as the first Q2 and Q1 groups of the season were officially decided.
Bezzecchi converted pre-season promise into a 1m28.526s lap record during Practice, finishing 0.421s clear of the field. The Italian, third in last year’s championship standings, controlled the final session and confirmed the competitiveness of the RS-GP26 over a single lap. Aprilia placed three riders directly into Q2, with Jorge Martin fifth despite limited pre-season mileage and Ai Ogura recovering from a crash to secure progression.
Ducati matched Aprilia’s Q2 presence, with reigning world champion Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio joined by Alex Marquez. Honda HRC secured two direct entries through Joan Mir and Johann Zarco, while KTM Factory Racing will be represented by Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder.
No Yamaha rider advanced directly to Q2, and Francesco Bagnaia emerged as the headline exclusion after finishing 15th in Practice. As reported by Crash.net, Aprilia “managed to get three of its riders directly into Saturday’s Q2 pole shootout session,” while Bagnaia was described as “the shock top 10 exclusion” on Friday. The 15-minute Q1 session will determine positions 13th downward, with the fastest two riders advancing to Q2 to complete the 12-rider pole contest.
Qualifying results will set the grid for both the Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix, making Saturday’s sessions pivotal in shaping the competitive structure of round one.
Riders Qualified Directly to Q2 – 2026 Thai MotoGP
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time/Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | 1m28.526s |
| 2 | Marc Marquez | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +0.421s |
| 3 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26) | +0.484s |
| 4 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.659s |
| 5 | Jorge Martin | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.703s |
| 6 | Alex Marquez | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | +0.850s |
| 7 | Joan Mir | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +0.991s |
| 8 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.006s |
| 9 | Ai Ogura | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +1.053s |
| 10 | Johann Zarco | Castrol Honda LCR (RC213V) | +1.064s |
Riders Entering Q1 – 2026 Thai MotoGP
| Pos | Rider | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Luca Marini | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) |
| 12 | Maverick Viñales | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) |
| 13 | Franco Morbidelli | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25) |
| 14 | Raul Fernandez | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) |
| 15 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) |
| 16 | Fabio Quartararo | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 17 | Enea Bastianini | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) |
| 18 | Diogo Moreira | LCR Honda (RC213V) |
| 19 | Jack Miller | Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 20 | Alex Rins | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 21 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 22 | Michele Pirro | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP25) |
With Aprilia and Ducati evenly represented at the front and Yamaha absent from the Q2 fight, Saturday’s qualifying will determine whether Bezzecchi’s record-breaking pace translates into pole position advantage for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix at Buriram.
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