Record on Friday, string of mistakes on Saturday – Marco Bezzecchi crashes while leading the Buriram sprint – His explanation for the crucial faux pas
Marco Bezzecchi was the dominant rider in practice at the 2026 MotoGP season opener in Thailand. The Aprilia rider set a new lap record at the Buriram International Circuit in Friday’s practice session. He secured pole position in qualifying, albeit only 0.035 seconds ahead of world champion Marc Marquez (Ducati).
However, Bezzecchi made mistakes on Saturday morning. In practice before qualifying, he crashed on his fifth lap in turn 3. The Italian also went down in qualifying, crashing in turn 12 shortly before the end.
In the sprint, Bezzecchi was involved in a close battle with Marc Marquez from the start. He took the lead on the second lap, but then he slipped in turn 9. This meant that the top favorite was eliminated early on and ended up with no World Championship points on Saturday. “Yes, a small mistake,” sighs Bezzecchi, describing: “I touched the inside white line a little with the front wheel, and the front wheel slipped away from me. I tried to catch it and had almost managed it.“
”But then, when I opened the throttle to get the bike back upright, the front wheel slipped away completely. Then I was under the bike, which made it impossible to save it. But yes: a small mistake. I wanted to close the line a little more.“
Did he overdo it at that moment? ”Well, I definitely tried to build a gap. In a sprint, it’s normal to try to start at the front and then open up a gap. It’s part of the job.”
It’s Marco vs Marc at the front ⚔️⚔️ThaiGP pic.twitter.com/yDNOUpYW9K
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) February 28, 2026
“At the moment, we are all extremely close together. Maybe I was a tad faster and I wanted to try to stay in front. And if you want to stay in front, you have to push.“ Three crashes in one day is a lot.
Did Bezzecchi want too much after a strong Friday? ”To you, it looked like I was riding easily with one arm yesterday. The reality is that I was already pushing like crazy yesterday. Maybe I could have crashed yesterday, after all, I crashed today.”
“I’m sorry, but we ride at the limit every time, so it’s normal to make mistakes. That’s the difference between good and bad riders. And today, I may not have been the best in the end because I made too many mistakes.”
BEZZECCHI GOES DOWN
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT ThaiGP pic.twitter.com/BC20Xp2kBP
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) February 28, 2026
“But I can’t do anything else, we have to push all the time.” Bezzecchi’s early crash allowed Marc Marquez to take the lead in the race. In the end, Pedro Acosta (KTM) won a close duel. The Ducati rider had previously received a penalty. Will the course of the sprint change Bezzecchi’s approach to the Grand Prix? “Tomorrow will definitely be a different race because it’s super long and this track is extremely demanding on the tires,” said the pole setter, looking ahead to Sunday.
“The track also puts extreme demands on the front tires, so we have to find a way for me to feel good on the bike. At the moment, I don’t know my strategy. I’ll try to give it my all and do the best I can. Then we’ll see.”
Bezzecchi’s teammates were still able to show the potential of the RS-GP in the sprint. Raul Fernandez, Ai Ogura, and Jorge Martin finished in third, fourth, and fifth place, respectively.
