MotoGP returns with perfect Ducati debut for Marquez

There were a lot of firsts at the opening round of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship. Not only was it the first time the series opened in Thailand, and the first time a Thai rider in Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda) had ever lined up on a premier-class grid, but it was the first race weekend for Marc Marquez in factory Ducati colours. And when he crossed the line to win the 26-lap Thai Grand Prix from pole position, it was the first time he’d claimed victory in an opening Grand Prix since 2011, and he was the first rider to win on Ducati debut since Australia’s Casey Stoner did it in 2007.

After qualifying on pole position ahead of brother Alex (Gresini Ducati) and teammate Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) – the same order and riders who featured on the podium of the 13-lap Sprint on Saturday afternoon – it all looked like a formality for the elder Marquez during the first half a dozen laps of the main event. Just as he did the day before, Marc got a perfect start, grabbed the holeshot, and put 1.5sec of clear air between himself, his brother, and the chasing Bagnaia in the first a handful of laps. 

From fifth on the grid, MotoGP rookie and reigning Moto2 world champ Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) was in fourth, impressing many on his GP debut, proving that the fourth-place finish in the Sprint wasn’t just beginner’s luck. Aggressive from the start, Ogura remained in fourth until lap three when Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) relegated him to fifth. It was a strong start for the Italian, having copped a three-place grid penalty for impeding Bagnaia in practice, climbing from ninth to fourth by the third lap.

Aussie Jack Miller had qualified one place ahead of the Japanese rookie to head row two, signaling a decent start to his Pramac Yamaha campaign, but lost a couple of places to both Ogura and Morbidelli early on. But he looked determined to right his Sprint DNF wrong and get some decent runs on the board.   

By lap six, any hopes of a tight battle appeared dashed, with a second and a half separating both first and second and second and third, but the next time around the crowd were on their feet as Marc appeared to have problem, dropping back into the clutches of, and then behind, brother Alex at Turn 3.

“I understand the front-tyre pressure was not inside the range,” Marc later explained. “I decided to slow down. And when I was behind him, counted back [and realised] I had only three laps of margin.”

It was a move that perplexed onlookers, but one that piqued the interest of the following pack. Bagnaia went from being 2.6sec from the lead to being less than one second, and the rejuvenated motivation saw the Italian throw in a couple of fastest laps as he tried to reel the siblings in.

Further back, Ogura was holding firm behind Morbidelli in fifth and ahead of Miller. He was even the fastest rider on circuit on lap 12, showing no sign of buckling under the pressure of being the top Aprilia rider, making the most of the injury absence of reigning world champ Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing).

By half-race distance, Ogura had dropped Miller and his pursuers, the top five now over five seconds clear. But as some riders started to find their groove in the latter stages of the 26-lap race, Miller started to struggle, an outcome he later said was due to “a little fairing mishap mid-race”; from sixth on lap 17, Miller was passed by Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), then by Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) on lap 21. An aggressive pass by Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) on lap 22 sent them both wide, also allowing former Red Bull KTM teammate Brad Binder through. Even Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM), who has so far struggled to gel with his RC16, made it to the flag before the Australian. 

“Solid first weekend all round,” Miller said. “Plenty to build on and we’ll keep chipping away.”

With three laps to go, Marc passed Alex and went on to cross the line 1.7sec clear of the Gresini rider, who held off Bagnaia by half a second. 

“Marc was playing with us all of the race,” Bagnaia conceded in Parc Ferme, when he revealed that P2 was his maximum target given Marc’s speed. Morbidelli was a further three seconds behind in fourth, with Ogura just two seconds behind him in fifth. Bezzecchi led the second group home in sixth; seven and half seconds behind the star rookie, with Zarco, Binder, Bastianini and Di Giannantonio completing the top 10. Miller was the top Yamaha over the line in 11th, with Monster Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo picking up the final point in 15th. 

Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM) crashed on lap two, but rejoined to finish 19th, Joan Mir’s (HRC) crash out of P7 didn’t reflect his strong preseason showing, and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) retired.  

“Yesterday I was happy, today I am super happy,” beamed Marc in Parc Ferme. “To start like this in Thailand, with my brother, and in Thailand where I won my last world championship; I haven’t felt like this since Jerez 2020.”

He heads to South America with the maximum 37 points in hand, eight clear of his brother and already 14 ahead of Bagnaia’s 23. Miller is in 11th on 5pts. 

Next up is Termas de Rio Hondo in two week’s time.