MotoGP 2025 Round One Report | Marc Marquez reigns supreme in Thailand

MotoGP 2025 Round One Report | Marc Marquez reigns supreme in Thailand | Becoming the first rider to win on their Ducati factory debut since Casey Stoner in 2007, Marc Marquez departed Thailand with a perfect start to his title tilt. Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

Day 1 of roasting hot action from Thailand served up an electric opening day, which provided plenty of topics to get stuck into. The 25th different venue to host the season-opening Grand Prix, the nerves and anticipation of a new season quickly turned into storylines and chapters for the remainder of the PT Grand Prix of Thailand.

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Coming out on top and breezing into Q2, it was Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP™) ahead of brother Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) at the top, with sophomore Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) up in third.

With all riders seeking to snatch a top ten placing and go directly into Q2, the pace dropped in the final 15 minutes as Acosta returned to the top before Marquez, like previously at the start of the session, wrestled it back. Brother Alex Marquez followed the #93 to P2 with ten minutes remaining on the clock, whereas Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) briefly popped ahead of Francesco Bagnaia, leaving the Italian out of the crucial top ten. But the #63 struck back, moving to P9.

The clock ticked down and soon the last five minutes were upon the field. And all still had a point to prove to get their place locked in for Q2 on Saturday morning. However, yellow flags and riding slowly on the racing line would hamper Pecco – both on separate occasions.

First, yellow flags halted a first charge to improve his lap time. With a couple of minutes to go, other riders improved, leaving the double MotoGP World Champion out of the top ten. Then, on his final flying lap, he encountered Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) on the exit of Turn 5 going slow on the racing line and that was that. The two gesticulated on track with a clear disagreement and the FIM MotoGP Stewards decided to investigate. The result? A three-place grid penalty for Morbidelli. And Bagnaia’s 13th place in Practice left him angry in Q1 for the first time since Valencia in 2023.

The first gloves-off track action of the season lit up the Chang International Circuit as the PT Grand Prix of Thailand’s qualifying sessions headlined Saturday morning. With big names needing to come through from Q1, it was always going to be a blockbuster affair, and the form book came true right at the head of the field with Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) snatching a maiden factory Ducati pole on his debut for the team.

With a very impressive return to Prima Pramac and indeed on their debut with Yamaha, Miller took P4 and his best qualifying result since he was P5 in Austria last year. Ogura was an astounding P5 on his debut, the best debut qualifying for a rookie since Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) in 2019, and top Aprilia, with Morbidelli just 0.037s adrift of the rookie in sixth.

Moto2

Friday in the Moto2™ class belonged to Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) after the Brazilian’s 1:35.030 was just enough to mean FP1’s runaway pacesetter, Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), was forced to settle for P2 following a late crash. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ended Practice inside the top three, the Turk 0.198s away from Moreira’s personal best effort.

Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) took the first pole position of the year in Moto2, with just 0.036 deciding it in a late flurry of fast laps at the top as the Spaniard edged out Celestino Vietti (HDR Heidrun) – the Italian charging through from Q1 to second. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) locked out a front row that was poised to get the gloves off on Sunday.

Until 22 seconds to go in Moto2 Q2 in Thailand, it looked like Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) was on for a maiden pole position. But the late onslaught from his key rivals put him down in fifth, with Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) pipping him to the front of Row 2.

Moto3

Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA) set the only sub-1:41 lap time of Moto3™ Practice at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand to head into the first qualifying day of 2025 as the rider to beat. The Italian’s 1:40.931 was a couple of tenths quicker than compatriot Stefano Nepa’s (SIC58 Squadra Corse) best effort in P2, as Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda completed the top three as the lightweight class got to grips with a fresh Friday afternoon schedule.

The Moto3™ World Championship’s first polesitter has been set after a tight and competitive qualifying session in Buriram. With track temperature rising close to the 60-degree centigrade mark, it was a hotly contested session and one with many key topics. Taking honours at the conclusion of it all, Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL-UP MTA) continued his mighty form throughout the weekend to bag a first career pole ahead of Nepa and Rueda.

Saturday

Tissot Sprint

The triple in Thailand was well and truly on for Marc Marquez as the new Ducati Lenovo Team recruit pocketed a scintillating Tissot Sprint victory to secure a perfect Saturday to ignite his 2025 title charge.

It was lights out for 2025 and Marc Marquez made the dream launch from pole position to pocket the holeshot. Pecco slotted into an early P2, but on the run into Turn 3, Alex Marquez stole P2 back. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) swooped around the outside at Turn 1 to clinch an early P4, with Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) P5.

At the start of Lap 3, Marquez – of the Marc variety – was 0.6s clear of his younger brother Alex. Bagnaia was a further second off the tailpipes of the Gresini star, with Ogura keeping the two-time MotoGP Champion on his toes.

Drama unfolded for Miller with seven laps left, as the Aussie was on the floor at Turn 8 from P6, which promoted Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to top Yamaha in P6. That was soon P7, as a small error at Turn 8 allowed Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to carve through.

Back at the front, Marc Marquez was 1.1s clear of Alex Marquez heading into the closing five laps. Bagnaia was 1.2s in arrears of the #73, but now the Italian was the fastest rider on track. Ogura was now 0.5s behind Bagnaia, with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) a lonely P5.

Three to go. Between the top three, it was pretty much as you were. Ogura’s podium hopes were seemingly slipping away as the Japanese star dropped to 0.8s off Bagnaia. But the rookie sensation had 1.8s to play with back to Morbidelli.

Two to go. Bagnaia’s efforts of trying to close down Alex Marquez for P2 had run out of steam and heading onto the final lap of the first Sprint of 2025, Marc Marquez was able to cruise home. The perfect Saturday was secured for the six-time MotoGP World Champion and for the first time since 2019, the #93 saw himself at the summit of the MotoGP World Championship.

In the end, it was a comfortable P2 for Alex Marquez as Bagnaia claimed P3 to open his points account for the year. Ride of the day goes to rookie Ogura. A magnificent P4 saw the reigning Moto2 World Champion finish less than a second behind Pecco, 1.3s ahead of Morbidelli and over six seconds ahead of last year’s rookie star Acosta. What a ride.

“We had the perfect Saturday: pole position, sprint race victory, plus my brother finished second, so even happier,”Marquez explained.

Tissot Sprint Race Results

1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo
2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati (+1.185s)
3. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+3.423s)
4. Ai Ogura rackhouse Aprilia (+4.392s)
5. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+5.790s)

Sunday

MotoGP

Grabbing the holeshot and seizing the initiative in a repeat of the Sprint on Saturday, Marc Marquez led 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.

Further back, there was a good fight for sixth 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.

For the next few laps, Marc held steady at the front, staying closely behind his brother. On Lap 18, Pecco was just a second behind, but after a couple more laps, he began to slip back. Nevertheless, he remained comfortably in third place, ahead of Franco Morbidelli (#21). Initially, it seemed like the #63 rider didn’t have the pace to challenge the leading brothers, but he gradually closed the gap.

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. An 112th podium, which means 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, where Takaaki Nakagami also clinched P5.

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.

“Yesterday, I was happy. Today, I’m super happy. I mean, this is a dream! It’s a dream to start my new journey with Ducati like this in Thailand, and to be here with my brother – incredible,” Marquez said.

MotoGP Race Results

1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo
2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati (+1.732s)
3. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+2.398s)
4. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+5.176s)
5. Ai Ogura Trackhouse Aprilia (+7.450s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo – 37
2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati – 29
3. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 23
4. Franco Morbidelli Pertamina VR46 Ducati – 18
5. Ai Ogura Trackhouse Aprilia – 17

Moto2

Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) produced an inch-perfect performance at the Thai Grand Prix to collect the first Moto2 victory honours of the season.

The early frontrunner on his Triumph-powered Boscoscuro was Vietti, but Gonzalez was clinging right onto the tailpipes of the Italian, with the latter’s teammate Agius enjoying a fantastic start to the race to sit in P3. By Lap 12 of 22, Gonzalez was at the front and beginning to pull the pin. The gap was up to 1.9s as Agius locked onto the back of Vietti.

Then, drama. Agius showed a wheel to Vietti’s left hand side through Turn 10 and there was contact made. It was enough to see Vietti slide out of contention. Agius was wide and lost a heap of time, which allowed Canet to climb into second place. That controversial collision meant Gonzalez was now over three seconds ahead at the front, with Agius handed a Long Lap penalty for his involvement.

In the closing stages, Gonzalez and Canet were comfortable in P1 and P2, with Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) – who picked off Agius after the Australian’s mistake – starting to come under pressure from the recovering #81. The move came at Turn 12 with three laps to go, before Moreira bit back at Turn 1. Agius was back into P3 at Turn 3, but Moreira didn’t throw in the towel. The duo exchanged positions five times on Lap 21 of 22, with Agius holding the final podium spot coming onto the final lap.

And after the superb Gonzalez clinched a second Moto2 win, and Canet crossed the line to collect a valuable 20 points, Agius held onto third place to beat Moreira by 0.251s. Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) rounded out the top five, the Andalucian eventually fending off Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) and Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) by just over one and a half seconds. The Brit was the lead Boscoscuro rider in Thailand.

Moto2 Race Results

1. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP
2. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO (+2.600s)
3. Senna Agius Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (+6.491s)
4. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team (+6.742s)
5. Marcos Ramirez OnlyFans American Racing Team (+9.561s)

Moto2 Championship Points

1. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 25
2. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 20
3. Senna Agius Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact – 16
4. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team – 13
5. Marcos Ramirez OnlyFans American Racing Team – 11

Moto3

Moto3™ rocketed into life at Chang International Circuit and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) stayed clear of trouble to put in a masterclass and take a second career victory.  In second, his rookie teammate Alvaro Carpe became the first rider to take a rostrum on their Moto3 debut since Pedro Acosta in 2021, with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) completing the podium to start the year strong.

The opening exchanges were hotly contested, with Rueda leading from the front from polesitter Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL-UP MTA), while the second-place baton was being swapped plenty of times as the riders fought for position. There was opening lap drama for rookies Cormac Buchanan (BOE Motorsports) and Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – MLav Racing), with the New Zealander taking out the Brit in a last corner, first lap incident.

With 13 laps to go, a lead group of 13 had formed after home hero Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Team Asia) crashed out of contention with Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Then, Buasri’s teammate Taiyo Furusato had his podium hopes end at Turn 3 with 12 laps to go.

Now, it was a front bunch of 12 riders, but two more then dropped out of the podium fight. Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) went off at Turn 3 after a collision with David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Intact Dynavolt), the latter receiving a Long Lap Penalty but crashing out on Lap 13 before he had the chance to take it.

With all the incidents and scrapping in the group, Rueda took his opportunity to bolt clear and instilled a two-second gap between him and the likes of Stefano Nepa (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and rookie revelation Carpe. With just five laps to go, Joel Kelso (LEVEL-UP MTA) got it all wrong at Turn 12 and took out Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI). The latter rejoined, but Kelso was out and later given a double Long Lap for the next race.

The final laps were all about the battle for P2; Fernandez was looking at equalling his career-best finish, Carpe at a debut podium and Nepa – with more starts than any current Moto3 rider on the grid – a career-first podium. Up the road by 7 seconds, Rueda took a second win of his career and would find his teammate alongside him in P2, a magnificent debut for Carpe.

Fernandez took P3 and denied Nepa a first appearance on the rostrum, whilst Matteo Bertelle took P5 despite starting from pole.

Moto3 Race Results

1. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo
2. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo (+7.276s)
3. Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing (+7.341s)
4. Stefano Nepa SIC58 Squadra Corse (+7.590s)
5. Matteo Bertelle LEVELUP – MTA (+10.242s)

Moto3 Championship Points

1. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo – 25
2. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo – 20
3. Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing – 16
4. Stefano Nepa SIC58 Squadra Corse – 13
5. Matteo Bertelle LEVELUP – MTA – 11