Italian rider Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) won the Thailand Grand Prix in MotoGP by leading from start to finish in Buriram and authoritatively opened the 2026 season. Spanish rider Marc Márquez (Ducati) retired due to a serious issue with the rear tire and failed to finish on the podium for the first time since 2021, according to the Argentine News Agency. The Italian confirmed all the predictions from the weekend, converting pole position into a commanding victory with the official Aprilia, after crashing while leading Saturday's sprint. He showed absolute control in the main race, leading every lap until crossing the finish with a 5.5-second advantage. The win in the Thailand GP marked his seventh victory in MotoGP and his third consecutive, as he also won the last two races of the 2025 season. The start set the tone for the Grand Prix, as Bezzecchi made a perfect getaway from the first grid spot and Spanish rider Raúl Fernández put another Aprilia in the mix by overtaking Marc Márquez in turn 7. This allowed the RS-GPs to quickly pull away, while behind an intense battle for third place began between Márquez, Jorge Martín, and Pedro Acosta. The reigning champion never found a stable rhythm and lost positions early on, though he responded with a double move on lap 10 that brought him back into contention. However, Acosta responded shortly after and reclaimed third place, but by then the leaders had already built a decisive advantage that left the race practically decided long before the end. Fernández seemed to be heading for second place, but his performance dropped with seven laps to go, opening the door for Acosta to advance to the runner-up position. The dramatic moment came shortly after: Márquez suffered a delamination of the rear tire while running fourth; the tire came off the rim in a fast corner, and the Ducati rider was forced to retire immediately. The champion's retirement secured the podium for Fernández despite his physical ailments. Martín finished fourth, and Ai Ogara staged a great comeback that put three Aprilias in the top five. Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio finished sixth as the best Ducati, ending a historic podium streak the manufacturer had held since the 2021 British GP. Álex Márquez also retired after a crash with five laps to go, and Joan Mir due to tire issues. Francesco Bagnaia could only manage ninth place, and Luca Marini closed the top ten for Honda.
