Bezzecchi Claims Buriram Pole as Marquez Pushes Aprilia to the Limit

The 2026 MotoGP season officially came to life in Buriram with one of the closest qualifying battles in recent memory, as Marco Bezzecchi secured pole position for the Thai Grand Prix after edging Marc Marquez by only 0.035 seconds.

Credit: MotoGP Press

After showing dominant pace across practice, Bezzecchi entered qualifying as the rider to beat. But what unfolded under the Thailand heat was far from straightforward, with Ducati, Aprilia and a surprise Trackhouse challenge creating an unforgettable opening session of the year.

Qualifying began with immediate pressure in Q1, where several major names were unexpectedly forced into the elimination battle. Raul Fernandez immediately showed strong speed aboard the Trackhouse Aprilia and established himself at the top of the timesheets early.

Alongside him, Franco Morbidelli found pace at the right moment to secure progression into Q2, but one of the biggest stories emerged behind them.

Double MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia failed to advance.

Despite multiple attempts and flashes of competitive pace, mistakes during his final runs ended his challenge early and left the Ducati factory rider set to start outside the top twelve. It was a shock result that instantly added another layer of intrigue heading into Sprint Saturday.

Credit: MotoGP Press

Q2 quickly became a direct battle between Aprilia and Ducati.

Bezzecchi opened strongly and immediately looked comfortable at the top, while teammate Jorge Martin briefly joined him near the front. Behind them, Marc Marquez looked aggressive but struggled to piece together a complete lap during his opening runs.

Then came the final attack.

With only minutes remaining, Marquez delivered exactly what fans expected — pushing beyond the limit and producing sector times good enough to challenge for pole. Corner after corner, the reigning champion clawed back time and crossed the line just 0.035 seconds short of denying Bezzecchi.

The Aprilia rider wasn’t done creating drama either.

Attempting to improve again, Bezzecchi crashed at the final corner, bringing an abrupt end to qualifying. Fortunately for the Italian, nobody behind could improve.

Raul Fernandez completed an impressive front row in third, while Fabio Di Giannantonio, Jorge Martin and Pedro Acosta rounded out a tightly packed top six.

With less than a second covering the leading twelve riders, all signs now point toward an explosive opening Sprint race and the beginning of another unpredictable MotoGP season.