MotoGP race recap: A thrilling start to the 2026 season, as racing kicked off in Thailand

MotoGP is back! The 2026 season got off to an exhilarating start, with thrilling action across all three classes at the Chang International Circuit for the PT Grand Prix of Thailand.

Bezzecchi secures first pole position of 2026, as Bagnaia fails to reach Q2

Having topped all three practice sessions, and setting a new lap record on Friday afternoon, Marco Bezzecchi was everyone’s pick for pole position. The Aprilia Racing rider did not disappoint, setting the fastest lap of Q2, 0.035 seconds ahead of reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez. The front row was rounded out by another Aprilia, with Trackhouse MotoGP Team’s Raul Fernandez coming through Q1 to eventually take the third spot on the grid.

Misjudging timings and conditions during Friday’s Practice session meant Francesco Bagnaia was forced to compete in Q1 on Saturday. The session saw Bagnaia start several promising laps, but mistakes during each of these laps, and a yellow flag brought out by Franco Morbidelli’s late Q1 crash resulted in Bagnaia failing to set a time fast enough to graduate through to Q2, lining up on the grid in 13th.

Acosta takes first Sprint win after battle with Marc Marquez

A new name has been added to the list of MotoGP Sprint winners, as Pedro Acosta took his first Sprint win, after an aggressive battle with Marc Marquez, that ended with Marc Marquez being required by Race Direction to drop a position on the final lap, after contact saw Acosta leave the track. Despite a strong start, polesitter Marco Bezzecchi crashed out of the Sprint during Lap 2, after taking back the lead from Marc Marquez. Behind Marc Marquez, Raul Fernandez was able to secure a 3rd place finish, ensuring Aprilia were still represented on the Sprint podium.

Aprilia dominate on Sunday as Ducati loses podium streak

After a difficult Saturday, Bezzecchi led every lap of Sunday’s Grand Prix with a pace that saw nobody come close to challenging him, to take an impressive first win of the season. With this victory, Bezzecchi becomes the first Aprilia rider in MotoGP to win three consecutive Grands Prix, after winning the last two Grands Prix of 2025.

An intense battle between Pedro Acosta, Jorge Martin, and Marc Marquez ultimately went the way of Acosta, who later passed Raul Fernandez to take 2nd. Fernandez, who admitted to struggling with his rear tyre towards the end of the race, held onto the final podium spot, ahead of fellow Aprilia riders Martin in 4th and Ogura in 5th.

Sunday’s race marked a significant turning point for Ducati, as they lost their streak of 88 consecutive Grand Prix podium finishes, with their top rider, Fabio Di Giannantonio, finishing 6th. Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was running in 4th in the Grand Prix, until striking the kerb at Turn 4 on Lap 22 damaged the rim of Marquez’s rear wheel, and punctured the tyre, ending his race. 

Double red-flagged Moto2 race sees Gonzalez win 7 lap dash

Red flags halted action in Moto2 after a terrifying crash for David Alonso on Lap 3 saw the CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team rider caught up in the bikes of Filip Salac and Senna Agius. Once Alonso had been moved from the side of the track, and debris had been cleared, the race was set to restart as an 11 lap race, using grid positions based on the standings as of Lap 3. Race 2 was then also red-flagged after an incident on the first lap involving Sergio Garcia and Luca Lunetta.

The race was restarted again, this time for just 7 laps, using the Race 2 grid positions. The first lap saw a leading group of four riders emerge, as Izan Guevara, Daniel Holgado, Manuel Gonzalez and Ivan Ortola distanced themselves from the rest of the field. As Guevara led the pack, Gonzalez made his way past Holgado, making his way up to 2nd, closing in on the race leader, piling on the pressure. A pass up the inside of Guevara on Turn 7 of the penultimate lap sealed the deal for Gonzalez, maintaining the position through some brilliant defensive riding. A bold last corner move from Guevara wasn't quite enough, and Gonzalez took the victory, once again winning the opening Grand Prix of the Moto2 season.

Alonso and Garcia have both been cleared of fractures or broken bones after their incidents, however SpeedRS Team have confirmed that Lunetta unfortunately suffered a fracture between his foot and leg, and will return to Italy to undergo surgery.

Almansa takes first Moto3 victory in photo finish

David Almansa converted his pole position into his first win in the Moto3 class, crossing the line just 0.003s ahead of Maximo Quiles. Almansa and Quiles forged a commanding lead over the rest of the field, as 3rd place finisher Valentin Perrone was over 9 seconds back. Perrone's podium was well-deserved after lengthy four-way scuffles between himself, Alvaro Carpe, Veda Pratama, and Adrian Fernandez.

Next time out, MotoGP will be travelling to Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton Senna, as they race in Brazil for the first time in 22 years. The first KTM rider to lead the MotoGP World Championship, Pedro Acosta will go into Round 2 with a 7-point advantage over Marco Bezzecchi. Will the Grand Prix of Brazil see Acosta maintain his lead, or will we see a new name at the top of the standings?

There's plenty to look forward to as MotoGP speeds in to the 2026 season. Don't miss your chance to witness the action for yourself at this year's British Grand Prix MotoGP. Tickets and hospitality are on sale now!