Marco Bezzecchi surged to the top of the leaderboard during Friday practice at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand 2026, held at Buriram’s Chang International Circuit. The Aprilia Racing rider clocked an unprecedented lap time of 1:28.526, breaking the circuit’s all-time record. The current world champion, Marc Marquez, finished second, trailing by 0.421 seconds, while key competitor Francesco Bagnaia missed out on securing an automatic spot in the next qualifying round.
Rain Clouds Loom Over Intense Opening Practice in Thailand
The opening round of the MotoGP 2026 season kicked off on February 27 at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. Friday’s practice was critical for riders fighting to position themselves in qualifying groups amidst uncertain weather conditions, with rain clouds threatening to disrupt lap times throughout the session. This unpredictable atmosphere forced competitors to carefully adapt their strategies to optimize their performances.
Performance Highlights: Top Riders and Surprising Results
Marco Bezzecchi, the Italian talent aboard Aprilia Racing’s machine, demonstrated dominant form by smashing the existing lap record. Marc Marquez, representing Ducati Lenovo Team, was unable to maximize the GP26’s potential but secured a strong second place. Fabio Di Giannantonio of Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team took third, posting a time just 0.484 seconds slower than Bezzecchi.
Emerging star Pedro Acosta, riding for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, rose to fourth position, 0.659 seconds behind the leader. Defending 2024 world champion Jorge Martin, also with Aprilia Racing, secured fifth place, trailing his teammate by 0.703 seconds. Alex Marquez, fighting for another Spanish title with Gresini Racing MotoGP, finished the day sixth and 0.850 seconds off the pace.
Japanese teams made a notable return to prominence. Joan Mir, at the helm for Honda HRC Castrol, placed seventh, closely followed by South African rider Brad Binder from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in eighth position. Rookie Ai Ogura, despite an early crash, impressively secured ninth place for Trackhouse MotoGP Team.
Veteran French rider Johann Zarco of Castrol Honda LCR claimed tenth place. Conversely, two-time Italian world champion Francesco Bagnaia struggled to find rhythm, ending up 15th and missing direct qualification for Q2. Yamaha continued to face setbacks as Fabio Quartararo of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP could only manage 16th despite improved top speed, with teammate Alex Rins trailing in 20th.
Rookie and International Rider Performances Draw Attention
The rookie class showed promise with Brazilian newcomer Diogo Moreira debuting in 18th place, a solid 1.575 seconds behind Bezzecchi. However, Toprak Razgatlioglu, a three-time World Superbike champion racing with Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP, found himself down in 21st, 1.839 seconds off the top pace, highlighting the intense competition at Buriram.
Upcoming Events and Broadcast Information for PT Grand Prix of Thailand
The event continues with crucial qualifying sessions and a sprint race scheduled for Saturday, February 28, followed by the main race on Sunday, March 1. Fans can watch the live broadcast on True4U Channel 24 and stream via the TrueVisions NOW app on SPOTV (channel 689), as anticipation builds for an unpredictable and fiercely contested race weekend.
