Thailand Qualifying 2

Marco Bezzecchi secured a historic first pole position for Aprilia in the 2026 season opener, though he did it the hard way. The Italian set a blistering 1:28.652 early in the session, a time that ultimately stood the test of a frantic final run. However, Bezzecchi’s session ended in the gravel trap; while pushing to extend his lead on his final flying lap, he lost the front end at the final corner (Turn 12) and suffered a heavy crash. Despite the incident, his earlier benchmark remained untouched, giving him his third consecutive pole dating back to the end of 2025. Marc Marquez came agonizingly close to spoiling the Aprilia party, digging deep on his final attempt to post a 1:28.687. The Ducati Lenovo star missed out on pole by just 0.035 seconds, but his performance was enough to split the Aprilia riders and prevent a front-row lockout for the Noale factory. Joining them on the front row is Raul Fernandez, who carried his momentum from Q1 to secure a career-best third place for Trackhouse Racing. Further back, the session was a nightmare for factory Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, who watched from the pits after failing to advance from Q1, meaning he will start 13th. Meanwhile, Jorge Martin and Pedro Acosta rounded out the top six, setting up an explosive front two rows for the afternoon's Tissot Sprint.