Motogp: Bezzecchi Holds Pole by 0.035s After Turn-12 Crash — a Shock to Title Pecco and a Boost for Aprilia

The opening Motogp qualifying salvo at Buriram immediately reshuffles expectations: Marco Bezzecchi will start the season opener from pole despite a late crash, and that tiny 0. 035‑second margin over Marc Marquez tightens the front-row narrative while Francesco Bagnaia finds himself consigned to Q1 and a P13 start. That mix of momentum and missteps changes who feels pressure first—Aprilia’s early advantage versus Ducati’s response and the immediate impact on the Tissot Sprint.

Who feels the shift: riders, teams and the sprint lineup

Bezzecchi’s pole keeps Aprilia’s momentum visible: two Aprilias (including Raul Fernandez) will occupy the front rows alongside one Ducati (Marc Marquez). Here’s the part that matters: the Tissot Sprint and the race start will now reflect a front row split of Aprilia versus Ducati, while Francesco Bagnaia, relegated after Q1, must fight back from P13. Ai Ogura’s late rise to P6 and Raul Fernandez’s Q1‑topping lap that earned him P3 also reshape team strategies for opening day.

What’s easy to miss is that Franco Morbidelli crashed at Turn 3 in qualifying but still preserved his Q2 slot, and that Pedro Acosta’s presence on the second row after a medium‑to‑soft tyre switch tightens midfield battle lines.

Motogp Q2 mechanics: lap times, crashes and the final minutes

Q2 produced a string of fine margins and a handful of conflicting lap figures in the available reports. Marco Bezzecchi posted a lap shown as 1: 28. 652 in one account and another noted a best lap of 1m 28. 526s; those timing details are unclear in the provided context. Marc Marquez’s final Q2 lap appears as 1: 28. 687, leaving him 0. 035s behind Bezzecchi in the qualifying shootout. Earlier in Q2 Bezzecchi set a 1: 28. 914 on an opening effort, with teammate Jorge Martin 0. 087s adrift at that stage.

Bezzecchi suffered a late crash at Turn 12 (the final corner) when pushing to extend his advantage; this was described as a second accident of the day, coming after an earlier fall at Turn 3 in practice. He returned on a spare bike using a soft rear; an earlier Saturday lap reportedly kept him 0. 071s clear of Pedro Acosta at one point. During the final phase Marc Marquez slammed three red sectors and ultimately lost a little in Sector 4, which left him P2. Fabio Di Giannantonio improved to P4 while Jorge Martin was shuffled to P5.

Starting grid consequences and the Q1 shock

• Pole: Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) — lap shown as 1: 28. 652 in one report and 1m 28. 526s in another (disputed/timing unclear in the provided context).
• P2: Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) — 0. 035s behind Bezzecchi with a 1: 28. 687 reported.
• P3: Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) — Q1 table‑topper who earned a front‑row start.
• Other Q2 finishers mentioned: Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) P4, Jorge Martin (Aprilia) P5, Pedro Acosta (KTM) P4/P5 region depending on sequence, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) listed behind Acosta earlier, Ai Ogura moved up to P6 in Q2 action.
• Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) failed to progress from Q1 after a mistake on the exit of Turn 8 while 0. 001s from Raul Fernandez’s time; Bagnaia will start the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix from P13.

Practice, Friday form and other notable incidents

Bezzecchi led earlier sessions: he was quickest in pre‑season testing and reportedly topped every track session he had taken part in so far this weekend, including first practice where an extraordinarily quick lap was recorded. One practice time was listed as 1m58. 526s and described as a new best MotoGP lap of the Buriram circuit (this timing detail is among the divergent figures in the available context). Marc Marquez was described as having looked ill at ease in a rain‑affected session and at one point at risk of missing the top 10, but he ultimately placed second in that session, 0. 421s behind Bezzecchi’s effort.

Alex Marquez was baulked by stand‑in team‑mate Michele Pirro (who is replacing the injured Fermin Aldeguer at Gresini) and faced a post‑session investigation for that incident but still made the top 10 in practice. Ai Ogura crashed on his final outlap yet also recorded a top‑10 place. Joan Mir, Johann Zarco and Brad Binder were noted among the top‑10 performers in practice.

Signals for the season: records, debutants and tech

Aprilias filled three of the top four places in first practice, and Aprilia is slated to become the first MotoGP manufacturer to introduce a form of active aerodynamics, described as similar to a system first used in Formula 1 in 2010. The season outlook in the provided context includes a note that "forty‑four races and 21 other Fridays still await, " underscoring the long championship horizon ahead.

Series two debutants were also mentioned: Diogo Moreira was 18th in one session and described as six tenths off the fastest Honda rider, while Toprak Razgatlioglu trailed Fabio Quartararo by about half a second; Quartararo was identified as the fastest of the Yamahas. The fastest race lap carried forward from 2025 was listed as Marc Marquez’s 1m 30. 637s.

Micro Q&A

• Q: Does Bezzecchi’s pole mean Aprilia is the favorite for the race? A: It gives Aprilia visible early momentum and a strategic advantage for the sprint and race starts, but the margin was tiny and the weekend still has more sessions.
• Q: How badly is Bagnaia’s P13 start for title defence? A: Starting P13 forces an aggressive recovery plan for the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix; the margin to the front will be a tactical challenge.

The real question now is how teams respond overnight to tyre, aero and setup signals from this close, high‑stakes qualifying. It’s easy to overlook, but the conflicting timing reports in the available context mean some precise lap figures remain unclear; timing will likely be clarified as final data is confirmed before the race.

Writer’s aside: The tiny 0. 035s gap underlines how small errors — a bobble at Turn 8, a caught front at Turn 12, a tyre choice — can reshape an opening weekend. Expect aggressive strategies from those starting deeper on the grid.