Marc Marquez Wins 2025 Thai MotoGP Sprint on Ducati Debut

Image credits: Gold and Goose

The 2025 Thai MotoGP sprint race saw Marc Marquez stroll to victory on his factory Ducati debut at a boiling Buriram, with the six-time world champion starting from pole position and never looking back. Marquez's brother, Alex, started second on the grid but lost out to Francesco Bagnaia at Turn 1, only to retake the runner-up spot on the exit. The Marquez brothers, running soft tyres front and rear, gradually eased away from the rest of the pack, leaving Bagnaia to fend off the surprise challenge of rookie star Ai Ogura.

VR46's Franco Morbidelli finished in a lonely fifth place, with Pramac's Jack Miller the top Yamaha until he crashed out on lap 7 of 13. KTM team-mates Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta had a feisty early battle before Acosta broke clear and went on to pass Monster Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo for sixth. Johann Zarco and Joan Mir went head-to-head for top Honda honours and the final Sprint point, for ninth. Marco Bezzecchi spun the rear wheel at the start and plummeted down the order on the opening lap of his factory Aprilia debut, recovering to 12th.

The results of the sprint race were as follows:

• Marc Marquez (Ducati) - 1st
• Alex Marquez (Ducati) - 2nd
• Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) - 3rd
• Ai Ogura (Honda) - 4th
• Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha) - 5th

The grand prix, the first of 22 in the campaign, is on Sunday, with Marquez looking to continue his strong start to the season. The 32-year-old has been fast all week, going quickest in opening practice on Friday before being pipped by brother Alex in the afternoon session. Marquez enjoyed a strong pre-season with the factory Ducati, having joined from Honda, and is strongly fancied to win a first world crown since 2019.

The start of the new MotoGP season has been overshadowed by the absence of world champion Jorge Martin, who suffered fractures to his right hand and left foot in a horror crash during pre-season testing in Malaysia. Aprilia now say he will miss both Buriram and the next race, in Argentina in mid-March. Meanwhile, Fabio di Giannantonio, who was also injured on day one of the Sepang test, is back for VR46, but sat up with three laps to go, suffering what looked like a technical rather than physical issue. The combination of Marquez and Bagnaia has been hailed as a dream team, but some observers have cautioned that the high-octane mix of two fast high-profile racers could prove too combustible.

The Thai MotoGP sprint race was a thrilling start to the season, with Marquez's victory setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting campaign. With 21 races still to come, the championship is wide open, and fans will be eagerly anticipating the next round in Argentina. The MotoGP season is known for its unpredictability, and this year's campaign is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory.

motogp marquez thai ducati marc sprint bagnaia francesco debut alex