Spanish rider Marc Márquez secured his first victory with the Borgo Panigale red colours, marking his return to the top of the standings for the first time in 93 GPs.
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Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Márquez made a stunning debut with the factory Ducati team, securing a weekend double at the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix. The Spaniard claimed victory in both the sprint race on Saturday and the main race on Sunday, finishing ahead of his younger brother, Alex Márquez, at the Buriram International Circuit.
Marc, starting from pole position in hot and humid conditions, got off to a strong start but was overtaken by Alex on the seventh lap of the 26-lap race. Alex, who had qualified second, briefly led the pack, but Marc remained close behind. With four laps to go, Marc made a decisive move at Turn 12 to reclaim the lead and crossed the finish line 1.732 seconds ahead of his brother.
Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia, Marc’s Ducati teammate, had a solid start but struggled to maintain his position, eventually finishing third, just 0.6 seconds behind Alex. The result extended Marc’s lead at the top of the MotoGP world championship standings with 37 points, eight points ahead of Alex and 14 ahead of Bagnaia.
Marc’s victory also marked his 112th MotoGP podium, equaling the record set by his compatriot Dani Pedrosa. Reflecting on his perfect start with Ducati, Marc said, “It was truly the perfect weekend. Results aside, the important thing is the incredible feeling I have with the bike and the team. The strategy for the race was to push hard in the early stages to create a gap and then try to manage it.
“As the laps went by, however, I noticed I was at the limit with regards to the front-end tyre pressure and I had no choice but to give up one position. It was really hard to be in Alex’s slipstream with this heat as I struggled breathing properly. I waited for the right moment to retake the lead and create the right margin, and things went as I had hoped. I’m happy,” he added.
Franco Morbidelli finished fourth after gaining two positions, while Japanese rookie Ai Ogura continued his impressive debut in MotoGP, securing fifth place for Trackhouse Racing.
Ducati’s strong performance has placed them at the top of both the manufacturers’ standings (37 points) and the team standings (60 points).
The MotoGP season now heads to Termas de Río Hondo in Argentina for the second Grand Prix on March 14-16. With Marc Márquez in dominant form and fierce competition heating up, the championship promises more thrilling battles in the races to come.
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