The 2026 MotoGP season opened at Buriram's Chang International Circuit in Thailand, and BK8 Gresini Racing arrived with high expectations. Alex Marquez, armed with the factory-spec Ducati GP26, was among the leading contenders as the field prepared for the first Grand Prix weekend of the year.

In qualifying, Alex Marquez delivered a strong performance, posting competitive times throughout the sessions. He secured sixth position on the grid — a solid starting point that demonstrated his ability to extract the maximum from the new GP26 machinery in the very first competitive outing of the season.

The Sprint race brought mixed fortunes for BK8 Gresini Racing. Marquez was involved in an early incident that compromised his race — his machine tangled with another rider in a chain reaction that sent him down the order. Despite fighting back through the pack, he ultimately crossed the line outside the points in P11.

Sunday's Grand Prix provided a much cleaner race for Marquez, who managed to avoid early drama and run consistently throughout. He eventually finished sixth in the race, matching his grid position and scoring important points that would contribute to his overall championship challenge.

Fermin Aldeguer, still recovering from his pre-season injury, was absent from Thailand. The team managed the situation professionally, with Marquez carrying the full weight of BK8 Gresini Racing's championship effort through the opening rounds until his teammate's return.

Despite a mixed Thailand weekend, the data gathered from the GP26 proved invaluable for BK8 Gresini Racing's engineers. Understanding the new machinery's characteristics across different circuit conditions would pay dividends as the season progressed to Brazil and beyond.