Thailand MotoGP, Buriram – Full Qualifying Results

* Rookie

Official Buriram MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 29.719s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 30.904s (2019)

Rookie Marco Bezzecchi takes his first MotoGP pole position in qualifying for the 2022 Thailand MotoGP at Buriram.

The VR46 rider, who only had one new soft tyre left for qualifying, snatched pole on his final lap and will be joined on an all-Ducati front row by Pramac’s Jorge Martin and factory title contender Francesco Bagnaia.

Reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo again took the fight to the Desmosedicis, the Frenchman’s Monster Yamaha (fourth) being the only non-Ducati in the top seven. 

Double Buriram winner Marc Marquez had been fastest in Friday’s opening practice before slipping down the order to 6th, 10th and 12th over the following sessions.

The Repsol Honda star returned to the top in Qualifying 1, putting him into the Q2 shootout where, with only one new soft rear tyre remaining, he looked on course to challenge for the front row until a moment at the final corner left him eighth on the grid.

KTM’s Miguel Oliveira was the other Q1 graduate, eventually qualifying just ahead of team-mate Brad Binder.

• Thailand Moto2 Grand Prix, Buriram – Qualifying Results
• Thailand Moto3 Grand Prix, Buriram – Qualifying Results

Struggling all weekend to find grip with the harder construction rear tyres, last seen in Austria, Aprilia’s title contender Aleix Espargaro put up a valiant effort to lead Qualifying 1 heading into the final minutes, only to be pushed out of the transfer places on the final lap.

The dejected Spaniard walked out of the Aprilia garage shortly after returning to the pits. Team-mate Maverick Vinales, frustrated at running wide on countless occasions today, will start just 17th.

Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow, taking part in the third event of his six-race comeback in place of the retired Andrea Dovizioso at RNF, was back on track after injuring his right ankle in a huge Friday afternoon highside.

Danilo Petrucci will make his Suzuki MotoGP debut from 24th and last on the grid, lapping 1.6s from Qualifying 1 leader Marc Marquez.

After a dry Saturday, thunderstorms remain a threat for race day.

Fabio Quartararo takes an extended 18-point world championship lead over Francesco Bagnaia into the final four rounds, after the Italian’s last lap accident at Motegi.

The Japanese Grand Prix was also a race to forget for Aleix Espargaro, who has slipped 25 points from the top after technical issues forced a last-minute bike swap, leaving him 16th.

The last time MotoGP raced at Buriram, in 2019, Marc Marquez – on pole at Motegi last weekend – narrowly held off then rookie Quartararo to wrap up his eighth world title, with Maverick Vinales completing a podium covered by just 1.3s.

MotoGP welcomes back Danilo Petrucci this weekend. Fresh from finishing runner-up in the MotoAmerica Superbike championship, the double premier-class winner (with Ducati) is stepping in at Suzuki for the injured Joan Mir.

Petrucci won’t be the only substitute on track, with HRC test rider Tetsuta Nagashima, who ed out of a MotoGP race debut last weekend at Motegi, called up in place of injured countryman Takaaki Nakagami at LCR Honda.

Wet weather is forecast throughout the Buriram event.

As with the other end of season ‘flyaways’, absent from the calendar since Covid restrictions in 2019, ten riders have no prior experience of racing in MotoGP at Buriram: Brad Binder, Alex Marquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini, plus this year’s rookies Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Darryn Binder, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.

Friday September 30

3am – Moto3 FP1

3.55am – Moto2 FP1

4.50am – MotoGP FP1

7.15am – Moto3 FP2

8.10am – Moto2 FP2

9.05am – MotoGP FP2

Saturday October 1

3am – Moto3 FP3

3.55am – Moto2 FP3

4.50am – MotoGP FP3

6.35am – Moto3 Q1

7am – Moto3 Q2

7.30am – Moto2 Q1

7.55am – Moto2 Q2

8.25am – MotoGP FP4

9.05am – MotoGP Q1

9.30am – MotoGP Q2

Sunday October 2

4am – Moto3 warm-up

4.20am – Moto2 warm-up

4.40am – MotoGP warm-up

6am – Moto3 race

7.20am – Moto2 race

9am – MotoGP race