Marquez Sixth-Fastest in Thailand MotoGP Free Practice
Defending MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez opened his 2026 season with a solid performance in the first free practice session of the Thailand Grand Prix at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, finishing sixth fastest on Friday.
In dry conditions, Italian rider Marco Bezzecchi topped the timesheets with a lap of 1 min 29.346 sec, leading a strong showing for Aprilia ahead of VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and his fellow Aprilia rider Jorge Martin. Martin, the 2024 world champion, suffered a minor crash early in the session but was able to continue.
Marquez, who is still adapting after lingering shoulder issues that sidelined him at the end of last season, was 0.426 seconds behind Bezzecchi. His Ducati Lenovo Team teammate Francesco Bagnaia was close behind in seventh, while Alex Marquez, last year’s runner-up, finished ninth.
Among other storylines, Toprak Razgatlioglu — the three-time Superbike world champion making his MotoGP debut — logged a 21st-place time.
The session marks the beginning of a highly anticipated season, with Marquez aiming to defend his title and add to his record haul in the premier class.
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