Marc Marquez Sets the Pace in Free Practice at Thai GP

Marc Marquez topped the timesheets during the opening practice of the Thai Grand Prix at Buriram, continuing his strong performance from pre-season testing.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel for instant updates!

Six-time world champion Marc Marquez sent a strong message to his rivals by topping the timesheets in the opening practice session for the Thailand MotoGP at Buriram today (28 February). The Ducati rider clocked a blistering lap time of 1:29.423 in scorching temperatures, setting the tone for the first race weekend of the 2025 season.

Marquez, who joined Ducati factory from Gresini satellite this season, dominated the 45-minute session, leading for almost its entirety. His performance comes after an impressive pre-season, where he quickly adapted to his new GP25 machine. The 32-year-old is widely tipped as a favorite to reclaim the world title, which he last won in 2019.

Teammate and double world champion Francesco Bagnaia, however, had a less stellar start, finishing 10th on the timesheets, 0.718 seconds behind Marquez. The Spanish-Italian duo, hailed as a “dream team” by many, has raised questions about whether their competitive spirits could lead to tension over the 22-race season.

Franco Morbidelli, also on a Ducati, secured second place, just 0.158 seconds behind Marquez, while Frenchman Fabio Quartararo rounded out the top three on his Yamaha. Quartararo’s strong performance came after a late switch to hard front and soft rear tires, while Jack Miller improved his time with new soft front and medium rear rubber on his final run.

The opening round of the season will see riders compete in a 13-lap sprint race on Saturday, followed by the main event on Sunday. However, the start of the season has been overshadowed by the absence of reigning world champion Jorge Martin. The Spaniard suffered fractures to his right hand and left foot during a crash in pre-season testing in Malaysia.

In a further blow, Martin sustained additional injuries in a training accident this week, requiring further surgery. Aprilia confirmed that he will miss both the Thailand Grand Prix and the following round in Argentina in mid-March.