MotoGP News: 2026 Thai Grand Prix: FP1 Report
The 2026 MotoGP season kicked off with the opening Free Practice 1 (FP1) session at the Buriram circuit in Thailand on February 27, 2026. Marco Bezzecchi (pictured) of Aprilia Racing set the pace, topping the timesheets with a lap of 1m29.346s on his third lap, reflecting strong form from pre-season testing.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Aprilia dominated the top positions, securing 3 spots in the top 4 despite an early crash for Jorge Martin. The session highlighted competitive parity, with less than one second separating the top 13 riders across all five manufacturers.
Buriram hosted the first competitive outing of the year, providing an initial gauge of team and rider performance following winter testing. The session ran smoothly under Thai heat, focusing on setup adjustments and data collection ahead of the afternoon’s Practice session. Riders completed varying lap counts, with Marc Marquez logging 21 laps and his teammate Francesco Bagnaia completing 19.
Jorge Martin experienced a minor crash at Turn 12 just 10 minutes into the session but was unharmed and quickly resumed riding, ultimately finishing 3rd.
This FP1 session sets the stage for an exciting Thai Grand Prix weekend. Teams will analyze data to refine setups for the upcoming Practice, Qualifying, and Race. Full results from the session are available on the official MotoGP website.
Buriram Practice 1 Results
| Pos | No. | Rider | Nat | Team | Time | Behind | Gap |
| 1 | 72 | M. Bezzecchi | IT | Aprilia Racing | 1m29.346s | +0.000 | +0.000 |
| 2 | 49 | F. Di Giannantonio | IT | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | 1m29.456s | +0.110 | +0.110 |
| 3 | 89 | J. Martin | ES | Aprilia Racing | 1m29.551s | +0.205 | +0.095 |
| 4 | 79 | A. Ogura | JP | Trackhouse MotoGP Team | 1m29.655s | +0.309 | +0.104 |
| 5 | 37 | P. Acosta | ES | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1m29.678s | +0.332 | +0.023 |
| 6 | 93 | M. Marquez | ES | Ducati Lenovo Team | 1m29.772s | +0.426 | +0.094 |
| 7 | 63 | F. Bagnaia | IT | Ducati Lenovo Team | 1m29.791s | +0.445 | +0.019 |
| 8 | 21 | F. Morbidelli | IT | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | 1m29.934s | +0.588 | +0.143 |
| 9 | 73 | A. Marquez | ES | BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP | 1m30.012s | +0.666 | +0.078 |
| 10 | 10 | L. Marini | IT | Honda HRC Castrol | 1m30.068s | +0.722 | +0.056 |
| 11 | 25 | R. Fernandez | ES | Trackhouse MotoGP Team | 1m30.072s | +0.726 | +0.004 |
| 12 | 36 | J. Mir | ES | Honda HRC Castrol | 1m30.082s | +0.736 | +0.010 |
| 13 | 42 | A. Rins | ES | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team | 1m30.268s | +0.922 | +0.186 |
| 14 | 5 | J. Zarco | FR | Castrol Honda LCR | 1m30.347s | +1.001 | +0.079 |
| 15 | 23 | E. Bastianini | IT | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 1m30.347s | +1.001 | +0.000 |
| 16 | 11 | D. Moreira | BR | Pro Honda LCR | 1m30.375s | +1.029 | +0.028 |
| 17 | 33 | B. Binder | ZA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1m30.391s | +1.045 | +0.016 |
| 18 | 20 | F. Quartararo | FR | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team | 1m30.470s | +1.124 | +0.079 |
| 19 | 12 | M. Viñales | ES | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 1m30.490s | +1.144 | +0.020 |
| 20 | 43 | J. Miller | AU | Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP | 1m30.839s | +1.493 | +0.349 |
| 21 | 7 | T. Razgatlioglu | TR | Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP | 1m31.109s | +1.763 | +0.270 |
| 22 | 51 | M. Pirro | IT | BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP | 1m31.808s | +2.462 | +0.699 |