Strategic masterclass sees Marc Marquez double up in Buriram stand-off
Becoming the first rider to win on their Ducati factory debut since Casey Stoner in 2007, Marc Marquez departs Thailand with a perfect start to his title charge
Sunday, 02 March 2025

The goosebumps of the season-opening Grand Prix are always special and the moment finally came to fruition as the PT Grand Prix of Thailand launched MotoGP™ in 2025. A tactical race with plenty of talking points, it was six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) who bagged 25 points, but in a race where the results don’t tell the entire story...

AS IT HAPPENED: Marquez holeshots before relinquishing lead
Grabbing the holeshot and seizing the initiative in a repeat of the Sprint on Saturday, Marc Marquez lead them through the opening laps. Brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was second whilst Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) occupied P3. Another good start from Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) saw him briefly inside the podium places on Lap 1 but he was soon shuffled back. Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) charge in the leading places soon came to an abrupt end with a fall at Turn 1 on Lap 4.

The race looked to be taking a familiar tone to the Sprint but you can never guarantee anything in the most exciting sport on Earth. On Lap 7, coming out of Turn 3, leader Marquez seemingly slowed down with no apparent or visual reason. He slotted in behind his brother, who assumed the lead of the Grand Prix; whilst Marc may not have led every lap of the year, a Marquez has. Whether it was for tyre pressure concerns, tyre/fuel conservation or another factor, we now had a tense Grand Prix at the front between the rival siblings.

BATTLES ELSEWHERE: Miller in contention, Mir top ten goes begging
Further back, there was a good fight for sixth place with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Joan Mir (HRC Honda Castrol). However, for Mir, the 2020 World Champion’s optimism turned to despair as he fell on Lap 16 at Turn 12, tucking the front and unable to remount.

Maintaining the status quo for the next handful of laps at the front, Marc remained glued to his brother; on Lap 18, Pecco was likewise just a second back but after a couple more laps, started slipping back but was in a safe third place ahead of the #21 of Franco Morbidelli. Having initially looked as if he didn’t have the pace to go with the leading brothers, the #63 closed back in.

DECISIVE MOVE: Marc attacks with 3 to go
It came too late to have a say though as on Lap 23 at Turn 12, Marc attacked Alex and retook the lead. All eyes were now on whether or not the #73 had anything left in the locker, but he didn't. The six-time MotoGP Champion had it all under control. 93 Grand Prix weekends after he last led the World Championship, Marc Marquez doubled up at the Destination of Speed and took his first Grand Prix victory in the red of Ducati. A 112th podium, he matches ex-teammate at Honda Dani Pedrosa in the rostrum rankings.

Bagnaia closed in on Alex as the race reached its climax but couldn’t have a say, with Alex holding on and joining his brother on the podium. Pecco’s third place means the top three from the Sprint emphasised their strength with a repeat showing in Sunday’s Grand Prix. Morbidelli clinched fourth place ahead of an impressive Ogura, who can be proud of a double top five on his debut weekend to welcome him up to MotoGP. Ogura’s result is the best by a rookie in a Grand Prix since 2013 – some kid called Marc Marquez back then. It’s also the first top five for a Japanese rider in a Grand Prix since 2021’s Styrian GP, with Takaaki Nakagami also in P5. Bezzecchi fought through for P6 ahead of a late-charging Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), already bettering Honda’s best result from last year at the same Grand Prix.

BEST OF THE REST: Binder and Bastianini come through
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a quiet race to P8, ahead of a resurgent Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) who turned his pre-season woes into Grand Prix gains in ninth; Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) came through to deny Miller the final place within the top ten, although Miller’s first Grand Prix with Yamaha saw him as the top representative for the Iwata manufacturer.

With Miller taking P11, Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) was next up and saw off pressure from rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with the 2021 World Champion having a nightmare opening lap where he was as low as 18th and never really recovering. Home-hero Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) took 18th, just five seconds from points on his debut.

That's a wrap on Buriram. For Marc Marquez it's the first time he's won the opener since 2014. For Ogura, it's the best rookie GP result since... Marc Marquez in 2013. Solid performance for Aprilia Racing in Thailand, with two RS-GP25s in top six at Buriram

MARCO BEZZECCHI SIXTH, AI OGURA FIFTH WITH TRACKHOUSE

The positive signs shown by Aprilia Racing during the sprint race were confirmed in the first full-length race of the 2025 season, with Marco Bezzecchi finishing in sixth place and rookie Ai Ogura of Team Trackhouse in fifth.

Marco Bezzecchi made a strong start, holding his position in the opening laps despite his rivals’ attacks. The Italian rider delivered a solid performance, executing decisive overtakes and recovering several positions to cross the line in sixth position.

On the other side of the box, Lorenzo Savadori, filling in for the injured Jorge Martín, completed the full-length race in twentieth position, matching his result in the previous day’s sprint.

Ai Ogura put in another brilliant performance, showing great maturity and speed in his first full-length race. After a fourth place in the sprint, the Japanese rider again showed his strong rapport with the RS-GP25 and confirmed his impressive MotoGP debut with a fifth-place finish.

The double top-six result in the full-length race and the strong sprint performances confirm Aprilia Racing’s progress. The team showed competitiveness and speed on a historically demanding track in extreme heat conditions.
bezzecchi


On Saturday morning, I suffered a few small issues that affected qualifying. It’s a shame about the sprint start, but it nevertheless helped us gather important information for the full-length race. I enjoyed the race, keeping a good pace, and I’m pleased because we collected a few points, but most importantly, valuable information. It was a positive weekend. Of course, I’m still learning and need to improve in certain areas, but together with my team, we did a good job.

savadori


We are happy because we see that the Aprilia bikes are competitive, especially on a historically difficult track. The RS-GP25s were fast both in the race and in the time attacks, which is definitely a positive sign. As for me, it's obviously not easy to fine-tune the set-up during a race weekend, but we've made some progress and some interesting aspects have emerged that will also be useful for the development of the bike.

rivola


A strong race from Aprilia. With Marco in the qualifying session, we couldn’t fully showcase his true speed, we’re proud of how he proved a fighter in the sprint and the full-length race. Seeing Ai Ogura repeat his sprint performance is wonderful, though for us, having followed him since his first laps at the Sepang shakedown, it’s no surprise. Ogura rides with incredible precision and has great confidence in the bike. Four months ago, we experienced great difficulty on this same track, and today, we were the second-best team – clear proof of the extraordinary work at Noale. Congratulations to everyone at the factory. Now, we head to Argentina highly motivated, knowing it’s a circuit that better suits our bike’s characteristics. We’ll give it our all, also to show that, on his return, Jorge will find a very competitive bike.
The 26-lap Grand Prix of Thailand MotoGP Race was a tough outing for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP due to the heat at the Chang International Circuit. After a less-than-ideal opening lap, Fabio Quartararo made the most of things and went on the take P15. Álex Rins, on the other hand, was riding within the points for most of the Race, but he ultimately found himself in P17 at the chequered flag.

Quartararo commenced the Race from P10 but soon found that he didn't have the feeling with his M1 that he was looking for. He gradually dropped down the order, eventually settling into 18th place. The 26 laps would be a test of perseverance for the Frenchman. With other riders also struggling in the second half of the blistering hot Buriram GP contest, El Diablo climbed up the order. He took the chequered flag in 15th place, 26.456s from the winner.

Rins started from P19 and, after some busy first five laps, rose as high as 14th place in the live timing before being relegated to 15th after completing about a third of the race distance. Though Enea Bastianini also overtook him on lap 15, a crash by Joan Mir on that same lap had the Yamaha man stay put in 15th place. The Spaniard was aiming for his first championship points, but the bike started to heat up, adding an extra challenge for the number-42 rider. He dropped to 17th place and held the position across the finish line, 31.095s from first.

Today's results see Quartararo take 13th place in the overall standings with 4 points. Rins is yet to score points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP is in 11th place in the team championship with 4 points, and Yamaha holds 5th position in the constructor championship with 4 points.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP will be back in action in two weeks' time for the Gran Premio de la República Argentina which will be held at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit from 14-16 March.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Overall, it was a very difficult weekend for our team. Looking at the results, the tyre choice that we made was probably not the right one. But in the last few days, the feeling was always that we couldn't do better with the other tyre options. We need to deeply analyse the data to understand what blocked Fabio from riding the way he usually does. Álex completely finished the rear tyre, and on top of that his bike was so hot that it burned his left leg. Today's data will be important stepping stones as we prepare for the Argentina GP in two weeks' time.

FABIO QUARTARARO
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
From the beginning of the Race, we had an issue with grip. I was struggling quite a lot. At first I thought that I just had to warm up the tyre more. I couldn't push on the first lap, the bike was sliding, and I lost a lot of positions. Unfortunately, also later on I was not able to have a good pace and make a great race. It was really hot riding in the back of the pack and, all in all, it was quite a difficult one. Let's see what we can do in Argentina.

ÁLEX RINS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
For sure, it was a physical race in terms of having to handle this heat. Already in yesterday's Sprint I could feel it a bit, but today, after lap 7, I couldn't handle it. My leg got burned. Anyway, looking at our level of performance and cornering, we did make a small step forward. But I was also giving it my 100% every lap, and with four laps to go, I lost the front in Turn 4, and after that it was a mess trying to manage it all. For sure, this is not the result we wanted. We will take all the information and try to improve.Marc Márquez and Ducati Lenovo Team are triumphant in the Thai GP, the opening race of the 2025 season. Francesco Bagnaia is third at the line for an all-Ducati top four

First win with the Borgo Panigale red colours for Marc Márquez, who is back atop the standings for the first time in 93 GPs



Alex Márquez is second with the Ducati of the Gresini Racing Team, Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Racing Team) is fourth



Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team have achieved the maximum result in the opening race of the season in Thailand at the Chang International Circuit. Francesco Bagnaia made it to the chequered flag in third place at the end of the 26-lap encounter.

Following a perfect start from pole, Marc gave up the lead to Alex on lap seven. Márquez still stayed on his brother’s tail and eventually overtook him at turn 12 with four laps left, before making his way to the race win. Pecco had a good start but could not defend the second position he took at turn two. In the closing stages he tried to bridge the gap, eventually crossing the line 0.6s shy of second place.

Márquez leads the championship standings after season opener with maximum points, 37. Bagnaia is third, 14 points in arrears. Ducati leads the manufacturers’ standings (37 points), with the Ducati Lenovo Team on top of the team standings (60 points).

The second Grand Prix of the season will take place at Termas de Río Hondo in Argentina on March 14-16.

Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“It was truly the perfect weekend. Results aside, the important thing is the incredible feeling I have with the bike and the team. The strategy for the race was to push hard in the early stages to create a gap and then try to manage it. As the laps went by, however, I noticed I was at the limit with regards to the front-end tyre pressure and I had no choice but to give up one position. It was really hard to be in Alex’s slipstream with this heat as I struggled breathing properly. I waited for the right moment to retake the lead and create the right margin, and things went as I had hoped. I’m happy.”

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd
“I was expecting a bit more today but honestly speaking, the race was a very long one and I couldn’t bridge the gap. I tried to get closer to Alex, but each time I was less than half a second away from him, I ended up struggling grip-wise. I tried everything I could but my feeling wasn’t perfect today. We lost 14 points this weekend, but we need to look forward and try our best in Argentina. It’s not my favourite circuit, and this one wasn’t either, but we’ll do our best to get a good result.”

Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“Marc did an incredible race, especially as with this heat it isn’t easy to stay in another rider’s slipstream for so many laps. He was excellent. We know that this is not one of Pecco’s favourite tracks and he wasn’t completely comfortable with the bike this weekend, and in this sense two third-place finishes are good; we’re at the very beginning of the championship, after all. Three Ducati machines on both podiums as well as on the front row, so I’d say we’re fully happy with the results.”
The opening round of 2025 MotoGP provided hot and oppressive racing conditions at the Buriram International Circuit but Brad Binder was able to sweat his way to 8th position after starting in 14th. The sixth Thai Grand Prix to occur at the flat and fast layout over 400km north of Bangkok welcomed a sell-out crowd and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 drilled their KTM RC16s to two points-scoring positions.



Brad Binder begins from 14th place and the South African recovers ground to cross the line with 8th and bags 8 world championship points
Enea Bastianini logs his first MotoGP appearance for Red Bull KTM Tech3 and rides superbly to come back from 20th on the grid to score 9th position
Maverick Viñales ends his Red Bull KTM debut with a top 16 classification and just misses the points
Pedro Acosta sets off from second row of the grid but slides out of top five contention at Turn 1. The Spaniard remounts to finish 19th
Jose Antonio Rueda excels for the KTM GP Academy with Moto3™ victory and Alvaro Carpe takes a brilliant 2nd place


The first of 22 Grand Prix races in 2025 lapped the 12 corners of Buriram 26 times, and the temperatures hovered in the high 30s with the asphalt sizzling in the 50s. The heat and harsh demands of the track created headaches for grip, wheelspin and durability. Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini had to gauge the most effective pace while also learn more about optimization of their 2025 KTM RC16s set-up.

Acosta rasped to the edge of the leading group and Binder made his customary rapid getaway and proactive first laps but Pedro’s was decided by a slip into Turn 1 in the formative phases. The Spaniard reboarded the KTM RC16 but circulated far behind the pack and he finished 19th. Brad pushed to the maximum to preserve his speed and tussle for positions. He passed the flag in P8 to grab points for the second time this weekend.

Red Bull KTM Tech3 were thrilled to watch Enea’s steady progress through the field and his expert handling of race rubber. The Italian started from the final row of the grid and made it up to 9th for a very encouraging beginning to his KTM career. Teammate Maverick Viñales struggled with traction from the first laps and could only reach the line in 16th.


MotoGP will jet across the continents and return to the Termas Rio Hondo circuit for the Grand Prix of Argentina in two weeks.

Brad Binder, 8th and 7th in the championship standings: “A really long race, for sure. I knew we had to be really easy on the rear tire and I had to be smooth on corner exit. Very tricky, especially because it is tempting to get excited and chase harder after people. I knew I had to be clever today but I also think I made a bit of a mistake with my tire choice. Anyway, I think we did a pretty good job considering it wasn’t an easy weekend. The team did a great job, so we’ll keep on fighting and hope for more in Argentina.”

Enea Bastianini, 9th and 9th in the championship standings: “I think we made a step this morning and I was positive for the race…but I did not expect the top ten. I think the soft tire helped give me confidence. In the second part of the race I was riding very smooth and was doing OK. It was important to check what I could do with other riders and to work out how and where I can do more. The race was good for this.”

Maverick Viñales, 16th and 18th in the championship standings“Well, we have a starting point. This weekend we had ups-and-downs trying to understand feelings on the bike. Now we need to be more precise and try to improve because I had problems with front grip today. It effected my corner speed. I made the rear tire last until the end of the race but had to use the front too much and it means the lap-times did not come easy.”

Pedro Acosta, 19th and 14th in the championship standings: “A tough day. A shame. We need to understand better what is going on because I had trouble stopping. After the crash trying to brake behind another rider my pace then was not too bad, the guys told me it might have been good enough for the top five. We have to move on and start again in Argentina. That’s it.”

Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Generally the first race weekend of the season is very important for information, and we need a couple of races to see where we are. Every lap is important and after two tests and a GP in extreme conditions this is helpful for the future. We know we need to improve in these types of climates but we also know that when it’s a bit cooler then we are competitive. We are learning, and in this way I’m happy. Performance-wise we have work to do.”
Rookie? – what a rookie! – Ai Ogura charges to 5th in a statement first MotoGP class Grand Prix

Trackhouse MotoGP Team unveiled a new Gulf livery design ahead of FP1, on Friday, in Thailand. The first ever MotoGP bike to carry a full color scheme for the iconic fuel and lubricants manufacturer.
R.01 Grand Prix of Thailand spectator attendance: Sunday – 99,778 Weekend – 224,634


AI OGURA

Grid position: P5 – Started on Front: soft – slick tire & Rear: soft – slick tire
Up to P4 on Lap 1 until Lap 4 dropped back to P5. Ran comfortably in that position all race, easing away from the pack behind and then holding a consistent gap through the following 23 laps
First Aprilia at the checkers
Best Rookie debut since Marc Marquez – Qatar 2013

“This weekend was just a miracle! I had a good Qualifying, a good Sprint Race and even a great main Race - I can’t thank my team enough. I had another good experience today, all the race behind Franco (Morbidelli) and in the front there were another three guys on Ducati. I really learned a lot from them, it was a fantastic experience. It was perfect and a good start. I’m still a rookie and at another track it’s maybe a completely different story. I just want to keep going my way and I’m open to take anything, the bad or the good.”



RAUL FERNANDEZ

Grid position: P5 – Started on Front: hard – slick tire & Rear: medium – slick tire
Up to P6 on Lap 1 and then back to P7 on Lap 2. Held position until Lap 13 and started falling down the order as laps counted down until retirement on Lap 22
Retirement caused by over-heating front tire

“I think tonight I won’t sleep too well but, it was one of my best races in MotoGP in terms of managing everything. The mistake that I made yesterday was forgotten and I prepared everything well today. The positive thing is that, in the first 15 laps, I was in a really good position and fighting very well. I did everything to prepare the last part of the race, but after 15 laps, when I was in seventh, I tried to catch Jack (Miller) and for some reason we had overheating in the front tire and from this moment on, the front tire didn’t work and I had to retire because I was 1.5 seconds slower. The good thing is, the bike is working very well, I feel really comfortable, but we have to understand why we had this kind of overheating because I was using the hard front and I wasn’t in the slipstream of other riders and after only two laps behind Jack when I tried to attack him. After that, I was almost alone. I don’t understand what happened, we need to analyze well and see what happens in Argentina.”

Tech3 KTM

Wow! Enea Bastianini gave us a good one today for his first main race in orange. The weekend had been tricky so far for the Italian, with a disappointing qualifying in 20th. However, once lights were out today at 15:00 local time for 26 laps, it was going to be a different story. Bestia gained 3 places in the opening lap to exit lap 1 behind Miguel Oliveira, as he passed through teammate Maverick Viñales, Luca Marini and Fabio Quartararo, who had dropped positions. Marini answered back in the next lap, with Enea back in 18th after 3 laps. Pedro Acosta’s crash on lap 4 earned Bastia another position, in addition to his move on Oliveira, as he moved up at the doors of the point-scoring positions. Bastianini settled in this position for a while, and after 10 laps, he found himself 1.1 seconds from Marini, as both were lapping at similar times. The HRC rider moved ahead of Alex Rins, leaving the 42 just ahead of Enea who was closing the gap on his opponent. The gap reduced, and as soon as he got the opportunity, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider overtook the Yamaha rider, now sitting in P14 after 15 laps, since Joan Mir’s crash in that same lap earned him an additional position. Sooner than later, Firmin Aldeguer and Raul Fernandez were behind, and Bastia was up to 12th with just 6 laps to go. He moved past Marini to P11, to find himself 1.3 seconds from Brad Binder after 20 laps. The Italian increased his pace, lapping faster than his fellow KTM teammate Binder. Was he going to catch him with just 5 laps to go? The 33 increased his efforts to move up to 8th, leaving Jack Miller and Fabio DiGiannantonio in sight of Bestia. Miller dropped, and that was a top 10 for Enea, and 0.2 seconds were now separating him from Di Gia'. Sector 2 was the right one to make the move to P9, as just one lap and a half remained. Binder defended his ground, and that meant Enea Bastianini crossed the finish line in 9th. 11 places gained, what a show that was from the Beast!

On his side, Maverick Viñales was looking forward to his first long race on the RC16 to continue the learning, after already experiencing a sprint on Saturday, when we saw him take P14. As lights were out, Maverick did not quite have the start he was hoping for. Stuck on the inside in the first corner, he dropped to P21 behind Thai rookie Somkiat Chantra, while Marc Marquez had taken another rocket start, with brother Alex just behind, and Francesco Bagnaia in 3rd in a similar scenario to the sprint. The #12 seemed to struggle settling early into a decent pace, as he found himself one second behind the Thai rookie after 5 laps, but as the laps went by, he progressively started recovering the time lost. With 10 laps gone, Viñales was still in P20, now 0.7 seconds from the rookie, but the pace was increasing and he was lapping just under the 1’32, quicker than the four riders ahead. He finally got his opportunity in lap 18 to overtake Chantra, but the Thai star defended in the last corner. Top Gun did not let go and finally got the best of the rookie, to sit in 17th with 5 laps left. 1.4 seconds then separated him from Fabio Quartararo, who himself moved past Alex Rins as he was losing ground. Maverick took the chance to go past the #42, to finally see the checkered flag in 16th, just at the doors of the points. A lot of information and learnings to take to the next round in two weeks, as MotoGP™ returns to Argentina for the first time in two years, for the Gran Premio de la República Argentina in Termas, on March 14-16.

Enea Bastianini: "After the warm up, I feel like we made a good step so I headed to the race positive, but I did not really have the top 10 in mind. At the race start, we were quite aggressive but I made some mistakes. From the middle of the race, the feeling was better, I tried to ride much smoother, and I was lapping faster than some riders ahead. This race was really important for us, to understand my strong points, but also my weak ones, and we confirmed my sensations. I lose in the middle of the corners, especially in the slow ones, and that means we lose a few km/h, which is not good for the exit, especially with new tyres. One thing I am really happy about today though, is that I have not lost one of my strongest points on this bike, which is the end of the races, so for this I am really satisfied. Let’s see how the bike will behave in Argentina!"

Maverick Viñales: "The weekend has been up and down, we have been trying to understand the bike, the feeling during qualifying, sprint and main race, and I think that now we have a starting point. All we can do now is to improve! Today, I did not have a good grip, especially at the front, so I could not make proper lap times, but the rear was not too bad, we managed it well. I just had to give up a lot with the front and brake earlier in the corners, so it was not easy, but we learnt and we will improve in the next round."

Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: "The Red Bull KTM Tech3 team leaves Thailand with a big smile after Enea Bastianini’s incredible performance today. The winter tests were not easy at all for him, and today’s P9 is a great reward for him. He ended up just one tenth from the best KTM of the day. Enea is a strong finisher, and today we saw that he can still be one on the KTM. He rode his fastest lap very late, and we are happy about this result for our first race together. It was a bit trickier for Maverick Viñales this weekend. He narrowly missed Q2 on Friday, and the story was different all weekend. He is still learning the bike, and he had a few issues during the race, but I think he just needs more time on the RC16, and he will be soon fighting with the others. Thank you everyone for the weekend, we will pack and head to Argentina in two weeks!"After the disappointment of the Sprint Race, where Miller crashed midway through while in contention for crucial points, today's main goal in the Thailand GP was clear: capitalize on his strong 4th-place start, secure valuable points, and gather crucial data to assist Yamaha‘s engineers in improving the YZR-M1.

Jack made a perfect start, battling in the early laps with impressive rookie Ai Ogura and Franco Morbidelli, settling into sixth place. He held the position comfortably for more than half the race, but from lap 8 he suffered a problem with his fairing, which by the end of the race forced him to reduce his pace and race a purely defensive race. As a result, Jack lost several positions in the closing laps, ultimately crossing the line just outside the Top 10 in 11th place.

Miguel Oliveira faced a much tougher challenge. On the day of his 100th premier-class start, he had to fight his way up from 17th on the grid. Enduring the intense heat of Buriram (36°C air temperature, 50°C track temperature) and the extreme conditions caused by the surrounding bikes, Miguel pushed through a grueling race. In the final laps, he managed to climb to 14th place, ensuring that both Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders finished as the top Yamaha representatives of the day.

The team now shifts focus to the next round in Argentina, aiming for further progress in this exciting new chapter with Yamaha.

GINO BORSOI
Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
"It's a real shame that Jack had that issue with the fairing; otherwise, his result could have been significantly better. However, while everything was running smoothly, he showed he was very competitive, maintaining a great pace that allowed him to stay close to the front. That‘s a highly positive takeaway. Miguel also had a good race, though his performance was obviously affected by a less-than-ideal starting position. In the scorching heat and stuck in the middle of the pack, it wasn‘t easy to climb into the points, but he managed to do it. Perhaps his tyre choice, which was different from Jack‘s, influenced his performance a bit, but there‘s no certainty about that. Overall, it was still a positive weekend for us. We did a great job, and finishing this first race of the season with both riders in the points is a well-deserved result."

JACK MILLER
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider
"Overall it was a good day for me. I felt pretty decent, but I had a small issue with the fairing around lap 8, which caused me to lose touch with the front group. Unfortunately, one of the clips popped out, and the whole fairing started coming loose. As you know, aerodynamics are crucial these days, and I started struggling with turning and carrying corner speed—especially in what was my strongest sector, Turns 4 and 5. On top of that, I was cooking out there because all the air was being directed straight at me. It made the race even hotter, and I actually burned my inner arms trying to hold the fairing in place on the straights. But I managed to make it to the finish line. In the end, I lost a few positions because of that, but I kept it together and brought home some points. Overall, it was a positive weekend. We‘re focused on building a solid foundation, and we‘ll keep working hard.”

MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider
"I was expecting a very long and tough race, and that‘s exactly what we got. It was incredibly hot for all of us. It was a race about managing the tires—we probably could have chosen a different spec, but I tried to manage them from the start. I really struggled with front grip, couldn‘t turn the bike properly, and was running wide in every corner when I still had good rear grip. Then, as the rear tire started dropping lap by lap, it became all about managing it as best as I could. In the end, I felt a little better, managed to recover some positions, and got into the points. Considering where I started, it‘s an acceptable result. Plus, we gathered some important data. From the tests, I knew our job was to close the gap to the leaders. Now, with more testing days, four bikes, and shared data, I believe we have everything we need to make that step. That remains our only focus right now."Johann Zarco secures 7th position in Buriram

CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco delivered an impressive performance, securing a 7th-place finish in Sunday’s race at the Chang International Circuit.

Starting from 12th on the grid, Zarco faced a demanding race under extreme temperatures.
Aware that the final stages would be decisive, the Frenchman managed his pace strategically, making calculated moves to climb to 7th place.
This result marks Honda’s best performance since the 2023 Thai Grand Prix.
Zarco’s 7th-place finish at the Chang International Circuit stands as his best result with Honda.

Johann Zarco 7th

“It was a tough race due to the high track temperatures, but I knew everyone was struggling, so I focused on conserving energy for the final stages. I felt increasingly comfortable on the bike and was able to overtake rivals, allowing us to achieve our goal. This result is a great way to start the season, and I want to thank the team and HRC for their hard work throughout the weekend.”Alex Márquez Starts Strong With Second At MotoGP Season Opener

Spaniard on top form at the Grand Prix of Thailand as Ducati riders dominate the podium.


BK8 Gresini Racing rider Alex Márquez delivered his best ever start to a MotoGP World Championship season by taking second place behind brother Marc Márquez in the season-opening Grand Prix of Thailand at the Chang International Circuit. Here is all you need to know:

- On pace immediately at the Buriram-based circuit, the younger Márquez brother scored a straight set of second places across the weekend by qualifying in P2, finishing second in Saturday’s Sprint race and again in Sunday’s feature race.

- The 28-year-old made a strong start to the Grand Prix and held his second place grid position for the opening seven laps before passing his brother for the lead of the race. He then held the lead until lap 23 of the 26-lap race, when Marc Márquez made the race-winning pass at Turn 12, but remained firm in the face of pressure from Francesco Bagnaia to hold position.

- Further down the order, Johann Zarco impressed aboard his Castrol Honda LCR in seventh place, bettering Honda’s best result from the 2024 season at the very first attempt, while Brad Binder on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Enea Bastianini finished just behind in eighth and ninth places to start their seasons on a positive footing.

- Miguel Oliveira finished in 14th place on his debut for the Prima Pramac Yamaha team and Maverick Viñales was 16th in his first race for Red Bull KTM Tech 3, while home Thai hero Somkiat Chantra finished 18th on his debut in the premier class.

- 2024’s revelation Pedro Acosta had a difficult debut in Red Bull KTM Factory Racing colours. The Spaniard fell at Turn 1 on the fourth lap and, although he was able to remount, finished down in 19th place.

- Missing from the start grid was 2024 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martín, who was unable to make his debut for Aprilia Racing after suffering injuries in two separate crashes during the pre-season. It is hoped that the Spaniard will return to racing at the third round of the championship, the Grand Prix of the Americas, on the last weekend of March.