Thai GP 2026 FP1: Bezzecchi Leads as MotoGP Season Begins in Buriram
Marco Bezzecchi topped the opening FP1 session of the 2026 MotoGP season in Buriram as the new campaign officially got underway.
MotoGP 2026 blasted off in Thailand, with Buriram welcoming the riders back to the track following pre-season testing. It was the first proper competitive outing of the year, offering a clearer picture of who looks strong heading into the season.
Bezzecchi, riding for Aprilia Racing, showed early pace and immediately established himself as a serious contender. On his third lap of FP1, ‘Bez’ posted a 1’29.346s to take the lead, placing Aprilia at the top of the timesheets and continuing the form he displayed during testing.
Fabio Di Giannantonio of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team finished second after improving toward the end of the session. Meanwhile, Jorge Martin endured a small crash at Turn 12 just ten minutes into his first Thai GP weekend with Aprilia. ‘The Martinator’ was unharmed and recovered well to secure third place by the chequered flag.
Three Aprilia machines ended the session inside the top four, with Ai Ogura of Trackhouse MotoGP Team taking fourth. That placed him one position ahead of KTM’s leading rider, Pedro Acosta from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, who completed the top five.
Reigning champion Marc Marquez began his season strongly with sixth place for Ducati Lenovo Team, finishing just ahead of teammate Francesco Bagnaia. Bagnaia was only 0.019 seconds behind Marquez and completed 19 laps compared to the #93’s 21, with both riders gathering valuable data ahead of the afternoon Practice session.
Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) placed eighth, followed by Alex Marquez of BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP and Luca Marini from Honda HRC Castrol, ensuring four different manufacturers were represented inside the top ten.
For Yamaha, Alex Rins was the highest-placed rider in 13th for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Among the rookies, Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) finished 16th, while reigning WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, now riding for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP, ended the session in 21st.
Source : https://www.motogp.com/en/news/2026/01/16//506394
