Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia took responsibility after a surprising slow start to the 2026 MotoGP season at the Thai Grand Prix in Buriram, falling short of reaching Q2 on Friday. Despite arriving confident following strong testing performances, Bagnaia ended the day 15th in the timesheets and failed to secure direct entry into Saturday’s qualifying session, attributing the setback to timing and adaptation issues amid tricky conditions.
Challenges in Unpredictable Track Conditions
The double world champion described the day as difficult, especially with afternoon rain disrupting track conditions. Speaking to Sky Italy, Bagnaia confessed,
“I didn’t work well in that moment; it was definitely a complicated day in the afternoon,”
and acknowledged,
“I wasn’t able to be competitive.”
He also expressed doubts about some of their testing decisions during the variable weather, saying,
“We had some testing to do, but with the conditions we had, maybe it would have been better to stay put.”
He highlighted a failure to find the right timing, reinforcing,
“I think we never managed to get the timing right.”
Yet, he remained cautiously optimistic about Saturday, stating,
“But it’s the first day, we have tomorrow to get back to Q2 and give it 100%.”
Later, in comments to the official MotoGP website, Bagnaia reflected on his difficulties adjusting to the changing circumstances:
“I just worked bad. I didn’t get into the conditions, which were a bit different, and I struggled quite a bit to adapt.”
Marco Bezzecchi’s Strong Performance Sets the Pace
Friday’s session was highlighted by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, who dominated the day at Buriram, demonstrating the potential highlighted during pre-season testing. Bagnaia recognized Bezzecchi’s clear advantage over the competition going into the rest of the weekend, though VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio showed comparable long-run pace.
Reflecting on the morning’s better performance, Bagnaia said,
“This morning was pretty good, although we still see a super-fast Aprilia with Bezzecchi, and right now I think he has a nice gap over everyone else.”
However, when trying a different setup in the afternoon, Bagnaia admitted he lost competitiveness, explaining,
“This afternoon, trying a slightly different setup with small differences, had a significant impact, and I wasn’t able to be competitive.”
He further detailed their response to the weather changes:
“Seeing the rain and wind coming, we tried to set a time almost immediately, but I wasn’t in the best shape set-up-wise.”
He concluded,
“It was my fault for not being able to take full advantage of the situation.”
Current Qualifying Standings and What’s Ahead
At this stage, Aprilia managed to secure three riders directly into Q2, while Ducati has placed Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, and Fabio Di Giannantonio into the Saturday qualifying shootout. Honda and KTM each have two motorcycles moving forward as well. Bagnaia remains the only GP26 rider yet to reach Q2, placing him in a challenging position to recover in the coming sessions.
This start signals a tense and competitive season ahead, with Bagnaia eager to regain footing and challenge Aprilia’s impressive pace. His self-critical approach might drive improvements in setup and strategy for the next races, where every fraction of a second will be vital.
