MOTOGP 2026 SEASON KICKS OFF IN BURIRAM
The 2026 MotoGP World Championship is ready to begin in Buriram, at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand.
This will be the final year for the current 1,000cc bike rules before new technical regulations arrive. Just like last year, the season opens at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand. The track already hosted winter testing last weekend.
During the first tests in Sepang, Ducati looked very strong. But in Thailand, Aprilia showed that it can be a serious challenger. Marco Bezzecchi set the fastest lap time and even broke the track record. His performance makes him one of the main rivals to the biggest favorite for the title: the reigning world champion Marc Marquez.
Marquez returned to action after a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the last five races of last season. He was immediately competitive on his Ducati, although he also crashed three times in two days of testing. Despite that, he is determined to start the season strongly as he begins his hunt for a tenth world title.
On the other side of the Ducati garage, Bagnaia seems to have found his confidence again. After struggling with last year’s bike, he feels more comfortable with the new GP26 machine.
Another rider to watch is Alex Marquez. After finishing as vice-champion in 2025, he now enters a very important season. He also has the same GP26 bike as his brother Marc and Bagnaia, so he should not be underestimated.
Pedro Acosta hopes to join this leading group, but he has admitted that KTM is still slightly behind Ducati and Aprilia. Honda has made progress during the winter, yet it may not be strong enough to fight for big results at the start of the season.
Yamaha appears to be the team in the most difficulty right now. In testing, their bikes were about one second slower than the leaders. The Japanese manufacturer introduced a new V4 engine, and it may take time before it works perfectly. For Fabio Quartararo and his teammates, the beginning of the season could be challenging.
Yamaha also had to lose a lot of track time due to concerns related to its engine at the Sepang tests, missing two and a half days of the three available.
One of the most exciting rookies is Toprak Razgatlioglu. The three-time Superbike world champion is adapting to MotoGP, but he is struggling with the switch from Pirelli tires, used in Superbike, to Michelin tires. In testing, he had more difficulties than the other rookie, Moto2 champion Diogo Moreira, who joins the LCR Honda team.
The Chang International Circuit
The Chang International Circuit first entered the MotoGP calendar in 2018. It was opened in 2014 and has hosted many important races. The Thai Grand Prix was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since last year, it has replaced Qatar as the season opener. Buriram is located about 400 kilometers northeast of Bangkok and is known for its hot and humid weather.
The Thai Grand Prix will include 26 laps for Sunday’s main MotoGP race and 13 laps for Saturday’s Sprint race.
The stage is set, the engines are ready, and a new MotoGP season is about to begin.
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