MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Marc Marquez retired from the 2026 Thai MotoGP after suffering a sudden loss of tyre pressure caused by a broken wheel rim, according to Ducati Lenovo Team boss Davide Tardozzi.
The reigning world champion endured a challenging race at Buriram. A sluggish start dropped him out of podium contention, but he recovered to fourth and was closing on Raul Fernandez in the fight for third. On lap 21 of 26, Marquez was forced to stop after what initially appeared to be a puncture.
Tardozzi clarified that the issue was triggered by a heavy strike on the Turn 4 kerb, which damaged the rim and led to an immediate loss of air.
“Unfortunately, he went onto the kerb at Turn 4 and broke the rim,” Tardozzi explained.
“That’s why he lost the air pressure and was forced to stop. He hit the inner edge of the apex and the wheel was damaged.”
He added that while several riders ran wide at the same corner, none experienced a similar failure, describing the incident as particularly unlucky.
Michelin MotoGP boss Piero Taramasso noted that rim damage had been observed multiple times over the Buriram weekend, attributing it to extreme heat and aggressive kerb design. He referenced a similar case involving Jorge Martin in the Sprint, where a kerb impact bent the front wheel and caused a gradual pressure loss.
One lap after Marquez’s retirement, Joan Mir of Honda HRC also withdrew due to a rear tyre-related issue, reinforcing the technical challenges faced under demanding track conditions.
The result also ended Ducati’s streak of 88 consecutive podium finishes, a run stretching back to the 2021 British Grand Prix. At the chequered flag in Thailand, the leading Ducati was Fabio Di Giannantonio, finishing more than 15 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi.
Tardozzi admitted Ducati has yet to understand why the bike behaved differently compared to pre-season testing at the same circuit.
“It was a very difficult weekend because Aprilia has clearly made a big step forward and all four of their riders were extremely fast,” he said.
“In the end, there is something strange. This weekend the bike felt completely different from the one we had during the test here, and that’s something we still haven’t understood.”
With Aprilia demonstrating significant gains and Ducati facing unexpected technical setbacks, Buriram has reshaped the early competitive narrative of the 2026 MotoGP season ahead of the next round.
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