Thailand MotoGP: Marco Bezzecchi bounces back with victory as Marc Marquez suffers DNF

BURIRAM (Thailand): Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia Racing are hattrick heroes in MotoGP for the first time after the Italian dominated a dramatic PT Grand Prix of Thailand to back up his 2025 Portugal and Valencia victories with a Buriram beauty at the beginning of 2026, according to a release from MotoGP.

Tissot Sprint winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished P2 to make sure he leaves Thailand as the MotoGP World Championship leader, as Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) begins the year with a P3 in a Grand Prix which saw reigning World Champion Marc Marquez suffer a race-ending puncture while in the podium fight. And that means Ducati’s unbelievable record-breaking podium streak of 88 in a row is over – for the first time since the 2021 British GP, no Ducati rider stood on the Sunday rostrum.

After an incredible Tissot Sprint on Saturday, it was time for lights out on Sunday and getting the perfect launch from pole was Bezzecchi, with Marc Marquez keeping hold of P2. But not for long. Turn 7 saw Fernandez pinch P2 away from the reigning World Champion, and then, a third Aprilia was having a bite at #93. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) was briefly ahead of the 2025 World Champion, but the latter bit back.

Bezzecchi was into a great early Grand Prix rhythm at the front, with Fernandez 0.9s away at the end of Lap 3. Then, attacking down at Turn 3 on Lap 4, Martin struck again. Marc Marquez was shuffled back to P4 by the 2024 World Champion, and then, Acosta entered the battle.

Turn 12. #93 vs #37. Shades of a memorable Sprint scrap. Acosta made a move up the inside stick to climb into fourth, with Marc Marquez down to P5, and as things stood, the current King had zero answers.

As Bezzecchi and Fernandez continued to set a similar pace in P1 and P2, we strapped ourselves in to enjoy Martin vs Acosta. The KTM star had several bites at the cherry on Lap 8 and 9, but Aprilia’s #89 was defending brilliantly.

Then, Acosta did find a way through on Martin. On the exit of a move at Turn 3, Acosta was through but getting a Lap 10 two-for-one deal on the run up to Turn 4 was Marc Marquez. But Acosta wasn’t having any of that. The pre-Grand Prix title leader chose Turn 8 to attack his compatriot, and it was a leap up the inside that worked. Acosta, eventually, was P3.

Now, though, by Lap 14, the gap to second-place Fernandez and leader Bezzecchi had grown. However, Acosta was beginning to catch the Trackhouse Aprilia, with the gap just below two seconds as the Grand Prix entered its final 10 laps.

Behind, Marc Marquez sat 1.4s away from Acosta, with Martin sitting 0.8s back of the leading Ducati. Bezzecchi, meanwhile, was over three seconds up the road and in relative cruise control. It was the Italian’s 25 points to throw away at this stage.

With seven to go, Fernandez’s grip on P2 was loosening. Acosta was now under a second away from the #25, and Marc Marquez was lurking too. Until he wasn’t. As we panned back to watch Fernandez, Acosta and Marc Marquez come through Turn 4, it was clear the latter had a problem. And it became obvious it was a rear tyre puncture. Drama in Buriram, the reigning World Champion was out of the Thai Grand Prix.

Then, last year’s runner-up was out too. Alex Marquez crashed at the rapid Turn 4; thankfully, the #73 was up and walking, but that ended a disappointing weekend at the office for the Gresini Racing star.

More drama then occurred. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) was forced to retire from the Grand Prix with rear tyre problems too, after the 2020 World Champion had strung a very strong race together in the top six, and all of a sudden, there were four Aprilias in the top five, with Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) showing some aggressive late pace.

And so, after a punishing Thai Grand Prix, Bezzecchi made amends for his Sprint error to clinch victory on Sunday and win three Grands Prix in a row for the first time. Acosta’s wait for a Grand Prix win goes on, but that was another sublime performance from the KTM star, who will head to Brazil as the MotoGP World Championship leader. And fair play to Fernandez. After some serious shoulder troubles surfaced in Warm Up, the Spaniard celebrates another P3 to grab a double Round 1 podium.

Having missed the Sepang Test and considering what he went through in 2025, Martin will be elated to start the campaign with P4, with the very impressive #89 finished three tenths ahead of Ogura. The Japanese rider recovers to round out the top five, with the lead Ducati rider over the line being Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P6.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) hands KTM a double top-seven finish in P7, as Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) leaves it late – the final corner of the final lap to be precise – to pocket P8 from Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). It’s P9 on Sunday for the 2022 and 2023 MotoGP World Champion, as Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) completed the top 10.

Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) were P11 and P12 across the line, with rookie Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) pocketing points on debut with a P13 ahead of the Brazilian’s home round next. Rounding out the points-paying positions were Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP duo Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins. (ANI)