Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
For the second year in succession, the 4.5km Chang International Circuit in Buriram brought a new season of MotoGP up to speed. After a hot, cloudy and windy day of Friday practice, the first qualification and race Sprint on Saturday was run in yet more stuffy and overcast tropical conditions.
Pedro Acosta flew to his first career MotoGP Sprint win. The Spaniard started from 6th and the second row of the grid. He then fought for top billing against countryman Marc Marquez. Acosta moved into 1st place three times before a lunge by Marquez into Turn 12 on the penultimate lap then forced the Red Bull KTM man off track. Acosta was able to regain ground on the final circulation and re-inherited P1 when Marquez was obliged to drop one position by FIM Race Stewards. The result stamped Acosta’s eleventh Sprint podium and the fifth in a row, stretching back to round 19 of 2025.
Brad Binder was fast through Practice on Friday to start the year with a positive direct entry to Q2 for Saturday. The South African then took his KTM RC16 to the 11th best lap for the same slot on the grid and an improvement of three places compared to his effort in 2025. Brad battled on the fringe of the top five in the Sprint. His ranking of P6 by the line bettered his P8 from the previous year.
17th in the Sprint for Enea Bastianini. The Italian started from P20 and tried to work on optimization of his race set-up while Maverick Viñales had a harder time understanding the potential of the harder spec tire carcass to handle the searing temperatures. He was 19th.
MotoGP will wind-up for 26-laps tomorrow at 09.00 CET.
Pedro Acosta, 6th in qualification, 1st in the Sprint: “Super-happy to start the season like this and for the progress we have made. I was still struggling a bit in the first and second sectors but I was comfortable with the package I had. KTM is working so hard to give me the best bike both now and for the rest of the year. I was happy about the race and being able to battle Marc. I would have done the same overtake! It’s what makes MotoGP exciting and such a nice show for the fans. Let’s see what we can do for the race tomorrow.”
Brad Binder, 11th in qualification, 6th in the Sprint: “A pretty good start and I passed a few guys early on. I felt I had momentum but when the tire pressure comes up then it gets harder to stop, and harder to keep consistent. I had to stay calm and manage the front. The bike felt really good compared to our reference from last year and we’ve done great work so far. We had an issue on my second flying lap in Q2 and I had to use the second bike. It was a bit unfortunate…but I did an even faster time, which shows there is still a bit of extra speed in the pocket. We’ll see if we can get dragged along tomorrow and go a bit quicker.”
Enea Bastianini, 20th in qualification, 17th in the Sprint: “I couldn’t push today and there were more problems when I was in the slipstream. We have to stay calm and understand the problem. It is only the first race and we have to work through it. I hope to see a different day tomorrow with the temperatures. I know Maverick had trouble but then Pedro was winning the race! Congratulations to him, he did a very good job. We will try again.”
Maverick Viñales, 17th in qualification, 19th in the Sprint: “A bad day and I am struggling to explain it. It’s complicated but I am lacking speed and was running wide. We need to check and understand why, and hope for better tomorrow.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “A great feeling to start a new season after a hard winter of work as well as preparation in the last weeks and, of course, we’re really happy with the win. This target is always there, even if it was something that maybe we didn’t expect at this track. To have two riders in the top six is a great result for us. We know Pedro’s potential but during this winter I’ve seen a change in him: another step of maturity and he is working so constantly all the time at a high level. Also, really happy for Brad. We made some changes to his working structure and methods at the end of last year and now we start to see the results of this. He’s been very solid and we were targeting that top six. Maverick and Enea have not had the easiest day…but we trust that the boys are coming and the potential is really big there also.”
Ducati Lenovo
The Ducati Lenovo Team had a starring role in the opening Sprint of the season with Marc Márquez, who was second at the flag at the Chang International Circuit. Francesco Bagnaia wrapped up the encounter in ninth position.
Márquez, from second place on the grid, took the lead at turn one, battling first with Bezzecchi in the opening two laps and then with Acosta. In the closing stages, after an overtaking manoeuvre on his opponent at the end of the penultimate lap, Marc had to drop one position following a penalty from Race Direction. Bagnaia made his way up to eighth from row four, crossing the finish line in ninth place.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action tomorrow morning at 10:40 local time (GMT +7) for the warm up, followed by the Grand Prix of Thailand, which will be contested over 26 laps from 15:00.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2nd
“It just went this way. The only thing we can do as riders is to adapt to the limit established by Race Direction. It was very hot today and the conditions were tricky, so when Bezzecchi crashed out, I tried to stay in the lead while keeping a pace I deemed safer. I would have liked to push in the final two laps but I almost lost the rear at turn five. I’m still happy with the result: back in January I would have put my signature on nine points in the first Sprint, but then everything changes when you find yourself battling for the win. We’re still not in the perfect place and I need to improve in some areas, and this is why we chose to keep the situation under control today rather than pushing past the limit.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 9th
“At the moment, I’m not able to perform the way I’d like. It’s my responsibility, as I’m taking longer than I should to adapt to the situation. Surely, things went better in the Sprint compared to the previous session, so we’ll try to use this as a base to keep improving ahead of the race. The conditions should stay the same, meaning very hot but still manageable. The medium tyre option could help us in this regard: still, it’ll be important to get a good start, especially considering our grid position, and try to put ourselves in a condition to attack.”
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team got a first taste of 2026 MotoGP racing action in today’s Grand Prix of Thailand Sprint. Fabio Quartararo had a difficult opening lap, but he recovered to P16 in the final two laps. Álex Rins had a solid start but lost some positions in the end and wrapped up the 13-lap dash in 18th.
Quartararo started from P16 but struggled to get off the mark and was riding in 19th position after the first lap. The Frenchman was able to make up ground in the latter stages. As Toprak Razgatlıoğlu dropped down the order two laps before the end, El Diablo was on the move. He kept his head down and gained two further positions when he overtook Rins and Enea Bastianini on the final lap to end the Sprint in 16th place.
Rins made progress in the first lap. Commencing the Sprint from P19, he got up to P16 and held the position for the majority of the ride. The Spaniard was chasing fellow Yamaha riders Jack Miller and Razgatlıoğlu. With three laps to go, the latter took a fall, and Franco Morbidell got through on Rins. It meant the number-42 remained in 16th place until a duel on the final lap ultimately resulted in the Yamaha man taking the chequered flag in P18.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action tomorrow for Warm Up, held from 10:40-10:50 GMT +7, and the 26-lap Race, which starts at 15:00.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“We knew that this first Sprint race was going to be very difficult. This is expected when you start a completely new project in a championship as competitive as MotoGP. Our team got two completely different stories: Fabio struggled at the start but gained some positions at the end, while Alex moved up the order in the early stages but lost some places in the final lap. The most important thing now is to carefully check our acquired qualifying and race data with the new bike – which are different from testing and practice sessions – so we can start developing accordingly. We expect tomorrow’s Race to be tough: 26 laps in this heat is a challenge for both man and machine, but it will again be a useful source of information for us.”
FABIO QUARTARARO, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“We are struggling with the start here. I was in last place after the first corner, and when you’re at the back it’s difficult to overtake. I know that I struggle a bit more with the pace when I’m in a group because I make the difference on corner entry. In a practice session you can ride alone and in a different way. With people ahead of you it’s completely different, and that’s why in a race it is always more difficult.”
ÁLEX RINS, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“It was as difficult as I expected. It was really tough on track in this heat. I’m quite happy about my start: I was able to recover some positions. It was my best start with this bike so far. It was kind of great. But it was difficult to overtake. On the last lap, I was trying to defend my position from Bastianini. When we arrived in the braking area of corner 3, it was like ‘Let’s see who brakes later’, but we both went wide. Then Fabio overtook us, and we finished like this.”
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
The Sprint of the Thailand GP kicked off the 2026 MotoGP season, and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team showed solid performance despite a challenging race. Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed his first two championship points with a comeback ride to eighth place, while Franco Morbidelli crossed the line in fourteenth position.
After a strong qualifying session, Di Giannantonio started from the fourth position on the grid (1’28”918). With an excellent start, Fabio immediately joined the fight for the Top3, but a contact in the early stages of the race dropped him in the back group, forcing him to set a comeback. The rider from Rome showed a strong pace, managing to cross the Sprint finish line in eighth position and scoring his first points of the year. Di Giannantonio heads into Sunday’s race eighth in the World Standings.
It was a more complicated Sprint for Morbidelli, who started from the third row (1’29”321) after progressing through Q1 in a solid qualifying performance. The very high temperatures in the pack battle affected Franco’s Sprint, but he defended well and managed to bring his bike to the finish line with great determination. The Italian-Brazilian rider ended the first Sprint of the year in fourteenth place, holding the same position in the World Standings.
The Thailand Grand Prix, which opens the 2026 MotoGP season, will conclude tomorrow with the main race, scheduled to start at 3:00 pm local time (+6 CET).
Fabio Di Giannantonio – 49
“We’ve had a great weekend so far. I feel strong, we had a good Qualifying and we also showed an excellent pace. In the Sprint, in the first corners I was in my position, I braked on my line, but I heard the noise of another rider coming towards me. I had to pick the bike up to avoid a crash, and we went wide. During the race, even though we were in the back group with a lot of heat, I was very fast and managed to fight back. I was quicker than the riders with me. It’s difficult to do more in the Sprint because it’s shorter and it was really very hot. But we have a great package and huge potential, I’m convinced we can put on a great show tomorrow, because now it’s not enough for me to have a good race, I want more. The Sprint is behind us, we’re already thinking about Sunday and the goal will be to enjoy it and do well.”
Franco Morbidelli – 21
“It was a half-positive Saturday, because this morning in Qualifying we managed to do a great time attack to get through Q1, and we know how complicated that is. With that lap time, we would have started from the second row. About the Sprint, I didn’t make a good start, I had many bikes in front of me and the temperature was extremely high. I couldn’t brake the way I wanted. It’s not ideal, but I managed to ride in the 1’31”. It was interesting to watch. But when it’s like that, it becomes impossible to ride, so the goal was to bring the bike to the finish line. For tomorrow, with this heat it will be complicated, but we will give our maximum.”
Honda HRC Castrol
Back to the typical conditions expected of the Thai GP, hot conditions saw lap times tumble in the build-up to the very first Sprint of the year. Excitement was palpable and built throughout the day as the return of racing steadily grew closer and closer.
Joan Mir took full advantage of his strong Friday to start tenth on the grid for the Sprint, immediately making progress forward with a trademark aggressive start. The first race of the year saw several ambitious moves into the opening corners, leaving the #36 with ample space to advance further. Settling into the rhythm of the race, he’d battle with Brad Binder until the closing laps and taking seventh place. This is an improvement of two places over his 2025 Thai Sprint result.
Lining up in 14th on the grid after late yellow flags in Q1, Luca Marini took a wide line into the first corner and quickly progressed into the top ten. Fighting hard with Bagnaia on the factory Ducati, the #10 was able to maintain his early gains and cross the line in tenth with a comfortable margin over Alex Marquez. This marks an improvement of five places over his 2025 Thai Sprint result.
Honda HRC’s engineers have one more evening to assess the data and make final adjustments before the 26-lap Thai Grand Prix arrives and another MotoGP World Championship season continues on at pace.
Joan Mir 36
Honda HRC Castrol
“I am satisfied with the job we’ve done today, it is what we were missing last year – getting a solid result in races where we can’t be fighting deep in the top five. It’s what will make the difference at the end of the year. At the start of the weekend, I said that it would be tough and we have been working a lot to improve our situation. In the long race on Sunday, I think we will be stronger. It’s important to have a race like this at the start of the year so we can map our progress well and not lose our way.
Luca Marini 10
Honda HRC Castrol
“We had to work hard to stay inside the top ten today after gaining some positions at the start. There are still some things to improve on the bike, certainly we have made some steps forward but in the race, you can see that still there is some margin between us and the others. Today’s heat made the front tyre very critical, even with the big improvements we made to the braking area it meant we had to be very careful, and we lost one of our strengths. There are still new things we are trying, still finding new improvements and still planning for more in the future. It’s the first race and we are pleased with this first Saturday.”
Aprilia Racing
The first sprint of the 2026 season at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand brought mixed fortunes for Aprilia Racing. Starting from fifth on the grid, Jorge Martín came home in fifth after a hard-fought race. For the Spanish rider, this represents his best qualifying position and sprint result with Aprilia Racing. Marco Bezzecchi secured pole position despite a crash without consequences during his final time-attack attempt. This marks Aprilia Racing’s first pole position in a season-opening race and the third consecutive in the top class at Portimão, Valencia and Buriram, both for the Italian rider and for the Noale-based manufacturer. However, Bezzecchi’s sprint came to an early end following a crash on the second lap.
The performances of the Trackhouse MotoGP Team riders were also noteworthy. Raúl Fernández progressed from Q1 to Q2, qualified third and claimed third place in the sprint, while Ai Ogura, who started eighth, finished fourth after a strong recovery ride.
JORGE MARTÍN
“The sprint went well. I got off to a good start and also had a great battle with Raúl. After a few laps, I had to slow down because I wanted to manage things, but fifth place is still a good result. I am pleased with the solidity and consistency I am showing this weekend and I am optimistic ahead of the main race.”
MARCO BEZZECCHI
“I made a mistake, unfortunately. I tried to tighten my line a bit more and touched the inside white line, which caused an initial front-end tuck. Then, when I opened the throttle to try to lift the bike, the front tucked completely and I slid off. A pity.”
FABIANO STERLACCHINI
“Since Friday, all our riders have been strong and we have shown great consistency. Right from the start of the season, the project has shown clear progress in the areas where we were previously weaker. Overall, it was an extremely positive day; it’s a shame about Marco, but these situations are part of our job and won’t discourage us.”
Discussion about this post