Chaos at Thai GP Moto2
Red flags flew at the Thai GP Moto2 after David Alonso, Mattia Pasini Agius, and Filip Salac crashed, with Alonso conscious but experiencing arm pain during medical checks. The restart saw another crash involving Alonso Garcia and Matteo Lunetta, while actor Ohm Pawat waved the checkered flag.
The initial red flag was caused when highly-touted rookie David Alonso clipped the back of Senna Agius, who appeared to suffer a technical problem between Turns 9 and 10. While Agius stayed upright, the contact sent Alonso to the ground, with an unsighted Filip Salac then unavoidably striking the fallen CFMoto Aspar machine. Salac was unharmed and quickly went to check on the Colombian rider. For David Alonso, the 2024 Moto3 World Champion, this was a brutal start to his full-time Moto2 career. The Colombian phenom had been impressive in pre-season testing and topped the first Free Practice session in Buriram, signaling his intent to be immediately competitive in the intermediate class. His start to the 2026 season was already complicated by a dislocated right shoulder suffered during a training accident in January. The second red flag incident on the opening lap of the restart involved Sergio Garcia, who was making his full-time return to the Moto2 class with the Italjet Gresini Moto2 team. Garcia tagged the rear of Barry Baltus's bike at the Turn 3 hairpin, causing a chain reaction that also took down Moto2 rookie Luca Lunetta, who is stepping up from the Moto3 class with the SpeedRS Team. This marks a difficult return for Sergio Garcia, the 2022 Moto3 runner-up. After a challenging 2025 season that saw him part ways with his previous team due to underwhelming results, Garcia secured a new ride with the experienced Gresini squad for 2026, aiming to reboot his career alongside new teammate Alonso Lopez. The race stoppages provided a dramatic backdrop to the season opener at the Chang International Circuit, which for the second consecutive year is hosting the first Grand Prix of the season. The event has been heavily promoted under the concept "More Than a Race," aiming to be a major tourism driver for the region. Thai actor and model Ohm Pawat, a noted motorsports enthusiast, was a prominent guest at the Grand Prix. In addition to waving the checkered flag, he participated in a new "MotoGP Tuk Tuk Parade Challenge" on Sunday morning, sharing a ride with some of the premier class stars in a uniquely Thai pre-race event.
