Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi delivered a commanding performance to win the Thai Grand Prix, controlling the race from the start and heading an unprecedented four Aprilias inside the top five at Buriram.
Pedro Acosta finished second for KTM after a late-race pass on a fading Raul Fernandez, while the Trackhouse Aprilia rider secured third to complete a podium notably absent of Ducati machinery – ending the Italian manufacturer’s record 88-race podium streak.
Bezzecchi took the lead from the get-go and took control of the first Grand Prix of the season from the start, opening a gap of nearly a second by the end of the opening lap.
The Italian continued to dictate the pace through the early phase, stretching his advantage to more than a second by lap six with a three-lap stint of low 1:30s.
Behind him, Fernandez initially held second as the Aprilias threatened to lock out the podium positions.
Jorge Martin moved past Marc Marquez early on to establish an Aprilia 1-2-3, while Acosta began working his way forward after spending the opening laps bottled up behind Fabio Di Giannantonio.
🔥 @37_pedroacosta has other ideas about the podium spot #ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/2C9iSCHVFq
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 1, 2026
A fierce three-way scrap between Acosta, Martin, and Marc Marquez defined the middle portion of the race, the trio running side-by-side across the line at one stage while battling for the final podium position.
Acosta ultimately gained the upper hand, first clearing Marquez and then setting his sights on Raul Fernandez ahead.
Marquez briefly showed a resurgence in pace and looked to be in the mix for the podium positions, but his challenge ended dramatically on lap 22 when a rear-tyre puncture forced him out of the race.
MASSIVE damage for @marcmarquez93 👀#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/kSxASfK0RT
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 1, 2026
Having lost the World Champion, the race then unravelled further for Honda when Joan Mir – running inside the top five after a steady ride – retired with a technical issue just two laps later.
With Fernandez’s pace fading – the Trackhouse rider explained after the race that he “had destroyed the rear tyre” – Acosta completed the decisive move for second place on lap 24.
Out front, Bezzecchi remained untouchable for the remaining laps, his lead having blasted past the five-second mark by mid-distance.
Martin crossed the line fourth to underline Aprilia’s strength across the weekend, while rookie Ai Ogura completed an impressive recovery drive to fifth.
The Japanese rider had dropped positions at the start but steadily carved through the field, sealing four Aprilias in the top five with a late move on Di Giannantonio.
The Italian led the Ducati contingent in sixth, ahead of KTM’s Brad Binder and VR46 rider Franco Morbidelli.
Francesco Bagnaia could only manage ninth after struggling to feature in the podium fight, with Honda’s Luca Marini completing the top ten.
Further back, Yamaha endured a difficult afternoon, Fabio Quartararo finishing 14th as no M1 threatened the leading group, while Maverick Viñales recovered to 16th after running off track early in the race.
