Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi took a straightforward win in the first grand prix of the 2026 MotoGP season in Thailand, making amends for his crash in the sprint a day prior.

Bezzecchi kept the lead from pole unlike in the sprint, and was never troubled - on what was a disastrous day for MotoGP's hitherto dominant manufacturer Ducati.

Ducati's streak of having at least one rider on every grand prix podium had stretched back to the 2021 Aragon Grand Prix, but it was nowhere near here - its hopes dashed by a sudden rear tyre failure for Marc Marquez.

But Marquez, despite being Ducati's leading light here, was already just an outside podium contender.

Second on the grid, he was overtaken by Raul Fernandez and Jorge Martin on the opening lap, though successfully retaliated against Martin before the Aprilia 1-2-3 was restored again on the fourth lap.

But Martin did not have the pace to run with his fellow RS-GP riders up front, soon coming under pressure from Acosta and Marquez and being overtaken in quick succession around the 10-lap mark.

Another spectacular battle between Acosta and Marquez - like the one that had decided the Saturday sprint - followed, but Acosta eventually pressed his advantage before both set off after second-placed Fernandez.

The Trackhouse Aprilia man faded in the final stages of the grand prix, but Marquez didn't get to benefit, suffering a sudden rear delamination on entry into Turn 4.

MASSIVE damage for @marcmarquez93 👀#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/kSxASfK0RT

There were other rear issues through the field, one clearly impacting leader Bezzecchi late on - but he did successfully nurse the fading rear tyre (which is a harder-carcass Michelin slick this weekend due to the heat demands of the Buriram circuit) to a 5.5s win over Acosta.

Fernandez, who had been overtaken by Acosta at Turn 3 and decided discretion was the better part of valour, eased home to third, followed by Martin and a resurgent Ai Ogura in a remarkable Aprilia 1-3-4-5 finish.

But a KTM rider, Acosta, now leads the standings by seven points.

Another rider struck by problems on the rear was Joan Mir, forced to pull over while on course for a potential top-five finish on his Honda.

Fabio Di Giannantonio was the lead Ducati rider in sixth. But while in the last grand prix that Ducati was off the podium, the 2021 Silverstone race, it was just a tenth off, here Di Giannantonio was a brutal seven seconds back from third, and 17 seconds off the win.

He was followed by Brad Binder (KTM) and resurgent VR46 team-mate Franco Morbidelli, who had recovered from a dreadful start and overtook a struggling Pecco Bagnaia in the final corner to complete his comeback.

LCR Honda rookie Diogo Moreira ran out of steam somewhat in the second half of his MotoGP grand prix debut, but was enabled by attrition to score three points, while the new V4 Yamaha got two points from Fabio Quartararo and one point from Alex Rins - in a race in which it had looked destined for a non-score around the halfway mark.

Quartararo finished over half a minute back from the winner. Moreira's fellow debutant Toprak Razgatlioglu was 17th, third of the four Yamahas.

Results

1. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia)
2. Pedro Acosta (KTM) +5.543s
3. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) +9.259s
4. Jorge Martin (Aprilia) +12.182s
5. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) +12.411s
6. Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) +16.845s
7. Brad Binder (KTM) +17.363s
8. Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) +18.227s
9. Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) +18.340s
10. Luca Marini (Honda) +19.101s
11. Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) +19.903s
12. Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM) +23.386s
13. Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda) +24.686s
14. Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) +30.823s
15. Alex Rins (Yamaha) +32.955s
16. Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM) +36.545s
17. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pramac Yamaha) +39.194s
18. Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha) +47.848s
19. Michele Pirro (Gresini Ducati) +1m03.598s

DNF Joan Mir (Honda)
DNF Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati)
DNF Marc Marquez (Ducati)