The 2026 MotoGP season has officially descended on the Chang International Circuit. After last weekend’s testing in Buriram, it was our first proper look at the bikes in action. While most of the session was a quiet one, there was no hiding when things went awry. But for Marco Bezzecchi, it was an almost perfect run as he kept the top spot on the timesheet for the entire session, finishing with a 1:29.346. Read on for the breakdown of the MotoGP FP1 session of the Thai GP.
No Time Wasted Out on Track as Martín Crashes
As soon as the green lights were on, riders came flying out of the pit lane for their first runs. It was clear from the beginning of the session that Marco Bezzecchi was the rider to beat. The #72 completed a lap in the 1:30s, then backed it up immediately with a 1:29.346. His Aprilia Racing teammate, Jorge Martín, came up to third on the timeboard, split by Pedro Acosta on his KTM. However, the Ducatis were coming up the field. Fabio Di Giannantonio pushed Acosta out, while the two Ducati Lenovo Team riders came up in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Unfortunately for Martín, he was the first one to fall victim to Turn 12, washing the front end out. He managed to hold on to the clutch to keep the motor running to push it off the track, but had to push it back through the gravel before returning it to the garage. As a reminder, the new FIM rule regulation states that riders are no longer allowed to restart trackside after a crash.
Quiet Runs and Another Head Scratcher for Yamaha
As riders returned to the pit lane in preparation for the second run, there was a lot of action happening in the BK8 Gresini Racing garage. Unfortunately, Fermín Aldeguer is missing the weekend due to injury and will be replaced by Michele Pirro. The Italian rider looked a little dejected in the pit box, with his best time placing him all the way at the bottom of the timesheets.
It was a staggered release for the next round of time attacks, with Martín returning despite his earlier crash. But this time it was a much quieter affair, riders taking it easy to conserve for the final run later in the session. One rider who did have a bit of unwanted excitement was Fabio Quartararo. The #20 had a scary moment in Turn 11, becoming incredibly unbalanced and threatening to throw him off. Quartararo continued to have handling issues in Turn 4 with the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP machine, shaking his head before finishing his second run. As has been clear in both Sepang and Buriram testing, Yamaha’s woes will persist for a little while longer.
Burn Outs and Front Wheelies in the Final Minutes
With time running out, it was the last chance to set flying laps. However, Joan Mir was not able to do so. The Honda HRC Castrol rider was coming into Turn 12 to turn onto the main straight and start his time attack when he had to abandon the effort. Upon review, it appeared the bike would not pull up under braking, forcing the rear wheel to lift off the track. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi was doing the opposite and putting pressure on his rear tyre. The Italian burned a bit of rubber, completing a practice start on the checkered flag after securing the top spot.
But he wasn’t the only one to leave some smoke out on the circuit. In another bizarre incident, Quartararo left a plume as he launched, which landed right in the face of Toprak Razgatlıoğlu. When everyone came out for a second attempt, it was Marc Márquez this time who got massive wheelspin that tried to veer him left rather than straight. Unfortunately, Quartararo had the exact same issue, leaving another trail of smoke.
Top Ten of the Session
- Marco Bezzecchi
- Fabio Di Giannantonio
- Jorge Martín
- Ai Ogura
- Pedro Acosta
- Marc Márquez
- Francesco Bagnaia
- Franco Morbidelli
- Álex Márquez
- Luca Marini
Practice to Come: What Can We Expect?
It’s clear that Aprilia are on a mission here with the RS-GP machine, not only to secure the first win of the 2026 MotoGP season, but also to land their first Thai GP podium. There was very little action from the Honda, KTM, or Yamaha camps, so we could very well see a Ducati v. Aprilia showdown this weekend. However, it is possible that everyone else was just biding their time and saving their performance for the all-important Practice session later in the day. Remember: only the top ten in that session will progress straight to Q2, skipping the scrap in Q1 for the final two spots. No matter what happens over the course of this weekend, there is one thing we know for sure: MotoGP will always deliver.