Buriram kicks off 2026: Bezzecchi dominates FP1, Marquez and Bagnaia in pursuit

He picks up right where he left off in testing: Marco Bezzecchi leads the first practice in Buriram. Report and standings.

Marco Bezzecchi on top, Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia 5th and 6th respectively. The 2026 MotoGP World Championship officially kicks off, starting in Thailand with the first free practice, followed by the session that will decide Q1 and Q2. The next session after this initial “warm-up” at the Buriram circuit is really the one to watch, with 31°C air temperature, 39°C on the asphalt, and 57% humidity. Here’s how it’s gone so far.

Aprilia gets off on the right foot, with Marco Bezzecchi immediately at the top of the timesheets. Jorge Martin looks strong too, though he suffers a harmless slide. We’ve seen the new incident management protocol: if the engine stays on you can rejoin, but only from behind the barriers and after marshals assess the damage—rejoining from the run-off or on track is forbidden. Ai Ogura is also up there, with Trackhouse Racing homologating an aerodynamic configuration different from the factory team. Fabio Di Giannantonio emerges as the top Ducati in this session, with Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia slightly further back, but keep an eye on KTM with Pedro Acosta near the front.

There’s no shortage of frustration at Honda—Joan Mir in particular doesn’t look comfortable—and at Yamaha, facing an uphill season with the brand-new V4 still very, very raw. But the rookie showdown kicks off too: former WorldSBK star Toprak Razgatlioglu, a three-time world champion taking on the challenge of a lifetime in MotoGP, versus Diogo Moreira, the historic Moto2 champion now making the big leap. Who will come out on top? Sadly, the answer already seems obvious... Note that the grid isn’t complete due to Fermin Aldeguer’s continued injury; in his place for Gresini Racing is test rider Michele Pirro (for the first time since 2012).