Marc Marquez Wins Thai MotoGP with Brother Alex in Second Place

Image credits: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

Marc Marquez completed a dream factory Ducati debut with victory in Sunday’s Thai MotoGP, despite pulling over and letting brother Alex lead most of the race. 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. After dominating the Sprint from start to finish, Sunday’s 26-lap race, in sweltering 37-degree heat, looked set to be a repeat with Marc Marquez again pulling away from pole. However, just six laps later, Marquez suddenly pulled over on the exit of the hairpin, calmly looking over his shoulder as brother Alex rode past.

A low tyre pressure warning was one theory, with the #93 needing to follow another rider to raise his tyre pressure for the required minimum number of laps. Marc was straight into Alex’s slipstream but in no hurry to pass, reinforcing the tyre pressure theory. The red rider then followed the Gresini machine - with team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, VR46’s Franco Morbidelli and rookie star Ai Ogura in pursuit - for lap after lap. The eight-time world champion finally launched his race-winning pass with just four laps to go, under braking for the final corner and won by 1.7s.

Here are the top 7 results from the Thai MotoGP:

• Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) - 1st
• Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) - 2nd
• Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) - 3rd
• Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) - 4th
• Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) - 5th
• Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) - 6th
• Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) - 7th

The tyre pressure theory seemed to be the reason behind Marc Marquez's decision to pull over, and it was a clever move that ultimately led to his victory. The racing was intense, with multiple riders competing for the top spots. In the end, Marc Marquez's strategy paid off, and he took home the win.

Alex Marquez had again lost second to Bagnaia at the start but returned to the runner-up spot later on the opening lap before being gifted the lead. Bagnaia remained in third for the rest of the grand prix. Morbidelli swiftly overcame his grid penalty, passing Ogura for fourth place within a handful of laps. Nonetheless, Ogura again kept pace with his experienced rivals to finish fifth, as the only rider in the top seven not on the soft front and medium rear tyres (choosing the soft rear).

Round two of the season takes place at Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina, in two weeks’ time. The MotoGP season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with multiple riders competing for the top spots. Marc Marquez's victory in the Thai MotoGP has set the tone for the rest of the season, and it will be interesting to see how the other riders respond in the upcoming races.

marquez motogp marc thai alex ducati brother place second franco