Marc Marquez Dominates Thailand MotoGP with Sprint and Grand Prix Wins
Image credits: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters
Marc Marquez has taken the lead of the MotoGP world championship for the first time since 2019, dominating from start to finish to win Saturday’s sprint race at the Thailand Grand Prix on his first outing for the factory Ducati team. The six-time MotoGP champion, who qualified on pole earlier on Saturday, won a sprint race for the second time in his career by converting his grid advantage into the first corner and bolting, Marquez winning by 1.185 seconds from younger brother Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati). Marquez’s teammate and two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia finished 3.423secs from victory in third place, Ducati riders locking out the podium.
The 32-year-old Spaniard continued his perfect start to life with factory Ducati as he completed a weekend double at the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix on Sunday, finishing ahead of younger brother Alex Márquez. The sprint winner Marc Márquez got off to an electric start on pole in hot and humid conditions at the Buriram International Circuit but Alex, who had qualified second on the grid, managed to break free to take the lead in the seventh lap of the 26-lap race. With three laps to go, Marc snatched back the lead to win the opening race of the MotoGP season for the first time since 2014. Twice MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Márquez’s new teammate, came in third to complete an all-Ducati podium. The MotoGP season has started with a bang, and Marquez is looking to make it a memorable one.
Australia’s Jack Miller squandered a superb qualifying performance when he crashed out of sixth place on lap seven, the 30-year-old taking fourth spot on the grid on his debut for the Pramac Yamaha team after crossing from KTM in the off-season. Miller came through Q1 to qualify a superb fourth earlier on Saturday, his best grid spot since the final race of 2023 in Valencia for KTM, while his lap time (1min 29.090secs) was the fastest lap ever recorded by a Yamaha in Thailand. The Yamaha team will be looking to bounce back from this disappointment, and Miller will be eager to make amends in the next race. Japanese rider Ai Ogura, the 2024 Moto2 champion, stayed in Bagnaia’s wheel tracks for the entire sprint and finished just 0.969secs off the podium in his maiden MotoGP outing.
The results of the Thailand Grand Prix are as follows:
- Marc Marquez (Ducati) - 1st
- Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) - 2nd
- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) - 3rd
- Franco Morbidelli (VR46) - 4th
- Ai Ogura (Aprilia) - 5th
The MotoGP world championship is shaping up to be an exciting one, with many talented riders competing for the top spot. Marquez’s dominance in the Thailand Grand Prix has set the tone for the season, and it will be interesting to see how the other riders respond in the upcoming races. The championship is likely to be closely contested, with several riders having a realistic chance of winning. As the season progresses, the competition is expected to heat up, and the fans will be treated to some thrilling racing action.
thailand motogp marquez marc prix grand sprint moto ducati dominat
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