Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi made it clear that Aprilia are now a serious contender for the MotoGP crown after his dominant performance at the Thailand Grand Prix, and senior figures within Ducati couldn’t hide their concerns over the Italian constructor’s local rivals potentially surpassing them.
After ending last year’s campaign with consecutive victories in the Grand Prix format, everyone expected Aprilia to have made another step forward over the winter break to challenge Ducati’s MotoGP dominance.
Despite Marc Marquez entering the 2026 season as the overwhelming favourite again, he was unable to show the same high-level of performance that saw him secure a perfect weekend in Buriram last year.
Instead, Marco Bezzecchi usurped the Spaniard as the King of Thailand. The Italian took a convincing pole position on Saturday, and, although he ended up crashing out of the following Sprint race, further dominance was shown in the Grand Prix as Bezzecchi won by over five seconds.
Marquez ended up taking an early bath due to an incident with a kerb that resulted in a puncture, and his retirement saw Ducati fail to secure a Grand Prix podium for the first time in 88 races.
Francesco Bagnaia admitted that Ducati no longer have the fastest bike on the grid anymore, and the concerns have seemingly been replicated in the body language of the Bologna-based outfit’s top brass.
- READ MORE: Luigi Dall’Igna agrees with Marc Marquez about Ducati’s problems after Thailand Grand Prix
If you were Marc Marquez, when would you retire?
Chicho Lorenzo saw ‘a lot of concern’ stemming from the Ducati garage at the Thailand Grand Prix
In an appearance on the Fast & Curious podcast, Jorge Lorenzo’s father and Grand Prix motorcycle racing coach, Chicho Lorenzo, revealed the extent of Ducati’s worrisome race weekend in Thailand.
We’ve become accustomed to seeing Davide Tardozzi and Luigi Dall’Igna wearing smiles all around at the end of race weekends, thanks to the impressive results that Ducati have accrued over recent years, but the overall vibe in Buriram was of stark contrast.
He said, “In Buriram, we understood once and for all how useless it is to make predictions based only on winter testing.
“On Sunday, I saw a lot of concern in the Ducati garage, especially from Davide Tardozzi, who is someone who never hides his emotions.
“One of the mechanics put his hand on his head. And above all, Gigi Dall’Igna also seems very worried.”
The first race of the weekend ended on a controversial note, with Marquez being forced to give the lead back to Pedro Acosta on the final lap after the stewards deemed that he pushed the KTM rider off track.
Dall’Igna was seen trying to calm Marquez down after the chequered flag had fallen, in a rare moment of visible frustration for the reigning world champion.
- READ MORE: Chicho Lorenzo thinks Marc Marquez knows he can no longer use his ‘hallmark’ overtaking manoeuvre
A changing of the guard or just a blip to start the season? 🤔
Let us know in the comments below!
Marc Marquez didn’t look in top form during the entirety of the Thailand Grand Prix weekend
The 2026 MotoGP season-opener also showcased how Marquez still isn’t back to full fitness following the broken collarbone that he sustained during the latter stages of last year’s campaign.
Paddock insiders highlighted how Marquez looked ‘burnt out’ in Buriram, which is highly concerning when considering that the recently-concluded race weekend was only the first of 22 rounds this year.
Former MotoGP rider Sylvain Guintoli also noted how Marquez looked like he was in ‘deep trouble’ after falling down the order in the Grand Prix.
The upcoming race weekend in Brazil should be able to give fans more of an idea of how representative the results in Buriram were regarding the rest of the season.
A brand-new circuit means every team will be starting from the same playing field. Whoever manages to emerge as the fastest, it may well and truly be their title for the taking.
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