MotoGP officially began the battle for positions in Buriram with an electrifying qualifying session, and the gap between the two main protagonists was practically imperceptible. Marco Bezzecchi secured pole position for the opening round of the 2026 season by beating Marc Márquez by just 0.035s in Q2 of the Thailand GP.
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After already showing strength throughout the weekend, Bezzecchi confirmed his favoritism by recording 1min28s652 in the decisive session. The time was enough to keep Aprilia Racing at the top, but the advantage was minimal. Márquez, the current world champion, responded with 1min28s687 and secured second position on the starting grid, turning the first battle of the year into a true duel between Aprilia and Ducati.
Tension increased even further because Bezzecchi suffered a crash at turn 12 in the final moments of Q2 while trying to extend his margin. Despite the fall, the Italian kept pole, as no one managed to improve after the incident. The tight gap reinforces the balance that should mark the start of the championship.
Raul Fernandez, who had led Q1, confirmed his good form and put the Trackhouse MotoGP Team on the front row with third position. The result means two Aprilias against one Ducati in the top three positions on the grid, a scenario that promises an intense battle in both the Sprint and the main race.
Q1 was marked by a big surprise. Francesco Bagnaia, two-time category champion, failed to advance to Q2. Despite fast sectors, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider made decisive mistakes in his final attempts and finished only 13º. He will share the fourth row in both the Sprint and the race, a considerable challenge right at the season opener.
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In Q2, the battle for pole was extremely tight, with only four tenths separating the top seven. Fabio Di Giannantonio secured fourth position and opens the second row, ahead of Jorge Martin, who finished fifth, and Pedro Acosta, sixth and the best KTM representative.
Alex Márquez finished seventh, followed by Ai Ogura, who secured eighth position, and Franco Morbidelli, in ninth. Joan Mir completes the top 10, while Brad Binder and Johann Zarco close out the group of the top twelve.
With Bezzecchi on pole and Márquez right behind, the expectation for the Sprint and the Thailand GP race is a direct confrontation between Aprilia and Ducati. The minimal difference of 0.035s makes it clear that any detail could decide the first victory of the 2026 MotoGP season.
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