Marc Marquez Wins Thai MotoGP After Unconventional Strategy
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Marc Marquez has taken the lead of the MotoGP world championship for the first time since 2019, the six-time MotoGP champion 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 32-year-old Spaniard, 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.
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. 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. Earlier, Ogura qualified fifth, the best grid position for a rookie since Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo at the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix of 2019. The strategy employed by Marquez in the Grand Prix, which involved letting his brother Alex lead for a significant portion of the race, has been a topic of discussion, with many speculating that it was done to ensure compliance with the tyre pressure regulations.
Marc Marquez won the Thai MotoGP in unconventional fashion, dropping behind his brother Alex shortly after establishing a comfortable early lead, and then spending a good half of the race sat right behind Alex. The elder Marquez thus leaves the opening round having won both the Buriram Sprint and Grand Prix, from pole position, for a perfect 37 points. The race results were as follows:
- Marc Marquez (Ducati)
- Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) +1.732s
- Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) +2.398s
- Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) +5.176s
- Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) +7.450s
The next round of the season takes place at Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina, in two weeks’ time. Reigning world champion Jorge Martin was absent this weekend after suffering further hand injuries in training last week. Martin was replaced by Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori. Fabio di Giannantonio - also injured on day one of the Sepang test - was back for VR46 but retired from the Saturday Sprint due to extreme heat from his Ducati. The season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with many talented riders vying for the top spot, and it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.
The Thai MotoGP was a significant event, not just because of Marquez's win, but also because of the impressive performance of rookie Ai Ogura, who finished fifth in his maiden MotoGP outing. The race also saw several crashes and retirements, including those of Joan Mir and Pedro Acosta. Despite the challenges, the riders put on a great show, and the fans were treated to an exciting and unpredictable race. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how the riders and teams adapt to the challenges and strategies employed by their competitors.
marquez motogp marc thai strategy moto ducati unconventional alex lett
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