Bezzecchi Secures Pole Position at Buriram as Marquez Lurks Close Behind

Buriram, Thailand – Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia Racing secured pole position for the opening round of the 2026 MotoGP season at the Chang International Circuit, but the reigning World Champion, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), is breathing down his neck, just 0.035 seconds behind. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) rounded out the front row, giving Aprilia two riders in the top three.

Qualifying Results: A Dramatic Session

The first MotoGP qualifying session of 2026 saw Raul Fernandez initially lead Franco Morbidelli by 0.3 seconds, setting a time of 1:28.784. This placed Francesco Bagnaia, who was third in the early stages, under pressure to improve his time. However, Bagnaia struggled to find a clear lap and ultimately qualified in 13th position.

Bezzecchi Dominates Q2, Marquez Responds

Q2 saw Bezzecchi continue his strong form from Friday practice, setting a 1:28.914 early in the session. Teammate Jorge Martin was close behind, just 0.087 seconds slower. Marquez initially struggled but quickly improved, while Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez secured positions on the second row.

Bezzecchi then pushed further, setting a blistering lap of 1:28.652 to extend his lead. Fernandez moved into third, creating an Aprilia 1-2-3 in Q2. However, a late crash at Turn 12 didn’t prevent Bezzecchi from securing pole position.

Marquez Challenges for Top Spot

Marquez responded with a strong lap of his own, closing the gap to just 0.035 seconds, securing second place on the grid. Di Giannantonio improved to fourth, pushing Martin down to fifth.

Full Grid Lineup for Round 1

• Pole Position: Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing)
• Second: Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team)
• Third: Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
• Fourth: Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
• Fifth: Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing)
• Sixth: Acosta
• Seventh: Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
• Eighth: Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
• Ninth: Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
• Tenth: Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol)
• Eleventh: Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
• Twelfth: Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR)
• Thirteenth: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team)

Sprint Race Ahead

The grid is set for an exciting opening round, with the Tissot Sprint race scheduled to initiate at 15:00 local time. With just 0.8 seconds separating the top 12 riders, fans can expect a thrilling race to kick off the 2026 MotoGP season.