Marc Marquez pipped his brother Alex to win the 2025 Thai MotoGP season opener at the Chang International Circuit on Sunday.
The six-time MotoGP World Champion delivered a masterclass performance to secure his first victory with the factory Ducati Lenovo Team, capping off a perfect weekend where he also claimed pole position and won Saturday’s Sprint.
The 26-lap 2025 Thai MotoGP race began with Marc Marquez making an impeccable start from pole position, grabbing the holeshot into Turn 1. His teammate Francesco Bagnaia briefly challenged for second place but was overtaken by Alex Marquez on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati GP24.
Rookie sensation Ai Ogura, making his MotoGP debut with Trackhouse Aprilia, also made an early impact by passing Bagnaia to temporarily slot into third. However, Alex quickly reclaimed his position and began the chase for his elder brother.
By lap five, Marc Marquez had built a commanding lead of over a second, appearing to be in complete control of the race. Bagnaia struggled to keep up with the pace of the leading duo, falling further behind as Alex Marquez settled into second place.
Despite his initial dominance, Marc experienced a brief scare on lap seven when he unexpectedly slowed coming out of Turn 3 which allowed Alex to overtake him and take the lead.
While there were no visible mechanical issues with Marc’s Ducati Desmosedici GP25, speculation arose that he may have been managing front tire pressure to avoid potential penalties.
For the next 16 laps, Alex Marquez led the race with his brother closely trailing him. The battle between the siblings captivated fans as Marc bided his time, conserving energy and strategizing for a decisive move.
On lap 23, Marc Marquez executed a flawless pass at Turn 12 to reclaim the lead and from that point on he executed his trademark precision and speed, pulling away from Alex to ultimately win the 2025 Thai MotoGP season opener.
Alex Marquez crossed the finish line in second place just 1.732s behind his brother, highlighting his growing prowess as a MotoGP championship contender.
Meanwhile, Francesco Bagnaia rounded out the podium after holding off challenges from Franco Morbidelli and Ai Ogura. Morbidelli finished fourth on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati despite starting further back on the grid due to a penalty.
Rookie Ai Ogura continued to turn heads with another stellar performance after finishing fifth in his first-ever MotoGP race to prove that his Moto2 championship-winning form has seamlessly translated to the premier-class series.
The Trackhouse Aprilia rider demonstrated maturity beyond his years by maintaining consistent lap times while battling seasoned riders throughout the 2025 Thai MotoGP race weekend.
Further down the order, Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia Factory Racing claimed sixth place after a consistent ride. Johann Zarco delivered one of Honda’s best results in recent memory by finishing seventh for Castrol Honda LCR.
Brad Binder brought his Red Bull KTM home in eighth, while Enea Bastianini secured ninth place for Red Bull KTM Tech3 after battling through traffic. Fabio Di Giannantonio rounded out the top ten on his Pertamina VR46 Ducati.
Other notable performances included Prima Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller in 11th place and Honda HRC Castrol’s Luca Marini in 12th. Pedro Acosta struggled to find pace on his Red Bull KTM RC16 and finished 19th despite showing promise earlier in the weekend.
Maverick Viñales and Alex Rins also struggled on their Yamaha machines, finishing 16th and 17th respectively.
Marc Marquez’s victory at the 2025 Thai MotoGP not only marks a personal milestone but also signals Ducati’s continued dominance in MotoGP machinery development. Becoming the first rider since Casey Stoner in 2007 to win on their Ducati debut, Marc has firmly positioned himself as a title favorite.
As the 2025 MotoGP championship standings take shape after the thrilling opener, the older Marquez leads with 37 points, followed by his brother with 29 points and Francesco Bagnaia with 23 points.
