During the Grand Prix Sprint race MotoGP From Thailand, a duel between Aprilia and Ducati was expected, but it was ultimately the KTM of Peter Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who crossed the finish line first to secure their first victory in the premier class of Grand Prix racing!
For the first round of the 2022 season, it was a beautiful, a very beautiful Sprint that we witnessed on the Chang International Circuit in Buriram! Thanks to the current general domination of Aprilia and the good resistance of Ducati, we hoped for a captivating confrontation, and we were not disappointed, since nobody really expected KTM to get involved in this Italian-Italian fight.
As for imagining a victory for RC 16…
Certainly, that of Peter Acosta was snatched on the green carpet, and everyone will have their own opinion on that, but before that, the young Spaniard had shown on numerous occasions that attacking Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) on the site of his two victories in 2025 did not intimidate him.
2026 began with a veritable fireworks display, the highlights of which were the seizure of power by Marc Márquez from the outset, the response of Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) at turn #8 and then his crash on the second lap, the splendid battle between Marc Márquez et Peter Acosta then the controversial overtaking maneuver on the penultimate lap, the equally controversial decision for #93 on the final lap, and the ultimately fruitless warning regarding tire pressure. George Martin (Aprilia Racing) after the race (rim leak).
Pedro Acosta wins thus his very first Sprint victory and becoming the first KTM rider to lead the MotoGP World Championship, while Marc Marquez, still visibly somewhat hampered in right-hand turns, had to settle for second place, and that Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) completes the podium on Saturday by leading a trio of Aprilias.
But in the end, and this is excellent news, All these explosive elements will still be used to compose the dish that will be served to us in a few minutes, during the 26 laps of the 2026 Thailand Grand Prix!
To write this first major chapter of the 2026 MotoGP season, the 4554-meter circuit will need to be covered 26 times during Saturday's Sprint (a total of 59,15 km), on a track with a very complete layout, alternating long straights, heavy braking zones, and fast corners, requiring Brembo to impose its largest carbon discs, and Michelin, including the allocation of the initial offer with more than two choices, to anticipate that "Managing 'spinning' is absolutely crucial."
Last year, Marc Marquez won the GP in front of Alex Marquez et Francesco BagnaiaThis dominance of Borgo Panigale was already challenged on Saturday: will the same happen on Sunday?
This morning, during the Tuk-Tuk race, the show was provided by the Pramac team duo, always very spectacular on one handlebar…
More seriously, during the warm-up, Marco Bezzecchi, 6th, was able to verify that his Aprilia worked well with the Medium rear tire, just like that of Raul fernandez author of the best time in a micro-session which gave us a nice final scene, this time with the Pramac team's breakdown service coming to the rookie's rescue Diogo Moreira out of gas…
It's Miller AND Toprak Taxi to the rescue 🚕#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/YccesohB7p
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) March 1, 2026
While we wait to learn more, as the 22 drivers prepare for this first Grand Prix of 2026, under clear skies and warmer temperatures of 35°C in the air and 55°C on the track, let's enjoy these few moments of live coverage thanks to the official website. MotoGP.com :
Time to enjoy the first Grand Prix of 2026!🔥
Don't miss the final race of the day with #VideoPass 👉 https://t.co/z2bNKno5eN#ThaiGP 🇹🇭https://t.co/XddO1hgFLY
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) March 1, 2026
Here is the table which summarizes the facts known so far.
|
MotoGP™ Thailand, Buriram |
2025 |
2026 |
| FP1 | 1'29.423 Marc Marquez (See here) | 1'29.346 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) |
| Practice | 1'29.020 Alex Marquez (See here) | 1'28.526 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) |
| FP2 | 1'29.629 Franco Morbidelli (See here) | 1'29.654 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) |
| Q1 | 1'29.180 Francesco Bagnaia (See here) | 1'28.784 Raul Fernandez (See here) |
| Q2 | 1'28.782 Marc Marquez (See here) | 1'28.652 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) |
| Sprint | Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Bagnaia (See here) | Acosta, M. Marquez, R. Fernandez (See here) |
| Warm Up | 1'29.460 Marc Marquez (See here) | 1'29.645 Raul Fernandez (See here) |
| Course | Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Bagnaia (See here) | Bezzecchi, Acosta R. Fernandez (See here) |
| All time lap record | 1'28.700 Francesco Bagnaia 2024 (See here) | 1'28.526 Marco Bezzecchi (See here) |
MotoGP 2026 Thailand RACE MotoGP 2026 Thailand RACE
