Bezzecchi snatches pole at Thailand Grand Prix as Bagnaia struggles in Q1
Marco Bezzecchi will start from pole position at the Thailand Grand Prix. The qualifying session saw several surprises, with key riders struggling to advance from Q1. The race weekend continues with the Sprint on Saturday and the main event on Sunday.
The Chang International Circuit in Buriram hosts its seventh MotoGP race since the event's debut in 2018. Previous editions in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the track has since returned as a regular fixture.
Bezzecchi claimed the top spot in qualifying, securing pole for Sunday's race. He will be joined on the front row by Marc Márquez and Raúl Fernández. Ai Ogura and Franco Morbidelli follow closely behind in the second row.
Pedro Acosta qualified sixth, just ahead of Álex Márquez in seventh. Fabio Di Giannantonio took fourth, with Jorge Martín completing the top five. Johann Zarco will start twelfth, while Joan Mir leads Honda's efforts in tenth, followed by Brad Binder in eleventh.
Several big names failed to progress from Q1, including reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia and Maverick Viñales. All four Yamaha riders also missed out on advancing to the final qualifying session.
The Sprint race kicks off on Saturday, February 28 at 9:00 AM CET. The full Grand Prix takes place the following day at the same time.
Bezzecchi's pole position sets the stage for a competitive race weekend. With multiple top riders starting further back, overtaking could play a major role in both the Sprint and Sunday's main event. The action begins with the Sprint on Saturday morning.
