Marquez domination, Yamaha turmoil, and struggles for Francesco Bagnaia – the 2025 MotoGP Thai Grand Prix offered an interesting season opener, and a possibility to offer 22 overheated riders a definitely-not-arbitrary rating out of 10.
Marc Marquez – 10
Pole, Dash win, Grand Prix win, 37-point most for Marc Marquez. I don’t know what extra you need. He was higher than everybody else, and didn’t make any errors.
He was going to get a 9.9, shedding 0.1 of a mark as a result of his crew (it’s a crew sport) made a mistake when deciding his tyre stress. However after the race he defined that his tyre stress dropped as a result of he was using inside himself, which he was solely doing as a result of he was so a lot better than everybody else that he had margin to fall into in an effort to keep away from danger, and so for that considerably unintentional show of supremacy he beneficial properties that 0.1 of a mark again.
15-time AMA Nationwide Champion and present AMA Supercross tv commentator Ricky Carmichael typically says “In case you don’t prefer it, you higher get used to it,” when a rider wins a race and he expects them to win much more of them. That’s the place Marquez is that this 12 months – there’s lots of profitable forward of him.
So, some recommendation: in case you don’t like watching Marc Marquez win MotoGP races, attempt to study to.
Alex Marquez – 9.5
Being overwhelmed in two races by the identical rider is often a trigger for frustration, however that’s lowered when the rider you have been overwhelmed by is Marc Marquez, and extra so if you end up his brother.
That was Alex Marquez’s weekend: higher than everybody aside from Marc Marquez. It’s laborious to complain an excessive amount of about that.
Sure, he led for 15 laps, however that was synthetic due to the tyre stress farce and Marc’s want to not incur a 16-second penalty. So, you possibly can’t say he bottled the win, or that he ought to’ve executed extra to attempt to preserve the lead, as a result of it was by no means actually his.
As Marquez himself talked about many instances this weekend, second place was his most, and he achieved that in all three of the significant periods.
Francesco Bagnaia – 6
It’s most likely an indication of how good Francesco Bagnaia has been over the previous 5 years that two third locations get him solely a six. There are even contributing components to why Bagnaia was solely third in qualifying and in each races, comparable to his uncomfortability with the smaller gas tank used for Sprints that has been a difficulty for 2 seasons now, and the delays to his schedule that stretch again to the primary day in Thailand two weeks in the past on the preseason check.
However the actuality is that Bagnaia has not had a weekend the place he was plain worse than his teammate – all weekend – because the second third of his first season as a manufacturing unit Ducati rider in 2021.
In fact, being teammate to Marc Marquez is a reasonably specific scenario given the aforementioned skills of Marquez that this weekend reminded us of, however Bagnaia’s achievements imply that his requirements don’t modified based mostly on different riders – he’s set them himself, and this weekend he was beneath them, by his personal admission.
Franco Morbidelli – 7
Franco Morbidelli rode nice this weekend. It was a comply with on from his testing efficiency which was additionally very optimistic.
Coming into the 12 months, it appeared sure that this might nicely be Morbidelli’s final in MotoGP, given he was constantly the least aggressive of the manufacturing unit Ducati riders final 12 months. However 5-4 to begin the season is a transparent signal that Morbidelli has made enhancements over the winter, particularly provided that his fourth within the lengthy race got here from ninth on the grid.
The rationale Morbidelli will get solely a seven is due to the explanation he began ninth for the GP, which is that he blocked Francesco Bagnaia in Apply.
There have been different riders going sluggish in entrance of Morbidelli on the time he impeded Bagnaia, however the frequency with which he disturbs different riders on-track is simply too excessive. It’s additionally gone on lengthy sufficient for it to turn into more and more plausible that it’s a difficulty Morbidelli has that received’t ever be absolutely resolved.
It looks like a extra unlucky trait for a rider to have once they produce sturdy performances like Morbidelli’s this weekend.
Ai Ogura – 9
‘Stunned’ has been a phrase talked about in relation to Ai Ogura all through preseason testing, as a result of the Japanese rider has usually out-performed the expectations positioned on him this 12 months.
I’m not solely positive why, to be trustworthy, provided that Ogura has been probably the most promising riders to come back out of the Asia Expertise Cup; that he fought for the Moto3 title in his second season; that he fought for the Moto2 title in his second season; that he’s the reigning Moto2 World Champion; and that he received that Moto2 title in his first season on a Boscoscuro and within the first 12 months on Pirelli tyres.
Clearly Ogura is a gifted rider, even when he was pretty modest about his personal ‘pure’ potential after his World Champion’s press convention on the finish of final 12 months’s Thai Grand Prix, and is ready to adapt to new situations rapidly. So, precisely why there may be a lot ‘shock’ about Ogura turning out to be really not that unhealthy at using a bike is kind of complicated.
Anyway, nonetheless good Ogura has appeared to be, it’s nonetheless excellent that he has had the perfect rookie weekend since Marc Marquez’s debut at Qatar in 2013. And that’s what he’s executed by ending fourth within the Dash and fifth within the Grand Prix.
He was nice all weekend, and never solely the perfect Aprilia rider but in addition the perfect non-Ducati rider within the Dash and the Grand Prix.
Marco Bezzecchi – 7
Marco Bezzecchi crashed twice in Thailand, and it was the second that basically conditioned his weekend, as a result of it occurred in Q2.
He began ninth for the Dash, and eighth within the Grand Prix. His Dash was then destroyed by spinning on the grid, which left him seventeenth on the finish of the primary lap earlier than he recovered to twelfth.
Then, the Grand Prix noticed him slip barely backwards once more, however by maintaining himself in competition he was in a position to reap the benefits of Raul Fernandez’s demise, Joan Mir’s crash, and Fabio Di Giannantonio’s decline. Then he handed Jack Miller for sixth, and normally that marked fairly a strong experience.
Certain, he was overwhelmed by a rookie on the identical bike comfortably – twice – however significantly within the Grand Prix Bezzecchi discovered himself caught in a gaggle whereas Ogura escaped with the leaders.
That doesn’t imply Bezzecchi might’ve overwhelmed Ogura – possibly he would, possibly he wouldn’t have – if he had a greater qualifying, however the level is his potential was restricted by his qualifying, which was worse than it’d’ve been with out that ill-timed fall.
So, the potential is there for Bezzecchi, he simply must put collectively the items.
Johann Zarco – 8.5
It’s actually tough to charge Johann Zarco’s weekend as a result of one way or the other he was virtually invisible all weekend. However as soon as once more he was the perfect Honda rider, sustaining a tempo higher than Luca Marini, about equal to Joan Mir, however then critically not crashing when Mir did.
Like Bezzecchi, Zarco took benefit of Mir’s fall and ended up seventh, solely 0.3 seconds behind Bezzecchi, and as soon as once more be Honda’s greatest rider.
If Honda is making technical progress with its RC213V, it’s definitely LCR’s Zarco who appears most in a position to reap the benefits of that.
Brad Binder – 6
8-8 for Brad Binder doesn’t appear so unhealthy, however he didn’t have the velocity of his Crimson Bull KTM teammate Pedro Acosta, and he was caught on the finish of the Grand Prix by Tech3’s Enea Bastianini, who we’ll come onto.
There’s little question that KTM are struggling, or no less than that they’re within the in the end fairly particular circumstances of Buriram firstly of March, so it’s laborious to be too harsh on Binder.
However Binder is with out a win since 2021, and every of the previous three seasons have seen him begin nicely and slip, because the season has progressed, deeper into midfield obscurity (barring some standout rides at Valencia in 2022 and 2023, and in Thailand in 2023).
However now Binder is beginning out as that midfield man, and it virtually looks like that’s what he’s changing into, even when – rationally talking – we know he’s higher than that.
That he was top-KTM no less than signifies he acquired all he might out of the RC16 package deal.
Enea Bastianini – 5.5
Enea Bastianini’s weekend is pure madness. The man received the Dash in Thailand in October final 12 months, and was 27 seconds slower over the 13 laps this weekend. Then, he’s ninth within the GP and all of 0.124 seconds behind Binder on the flag.
It was a outstanding turnaround for Bastianini on Sunday, but when the weekend ended on Saturday he’d be getting a one on this (extraordinarily essential) checklist.
It’s laborious to know what to make of Bastianini now. Earlier than it was clear: he was in dire bother and the entire season was destined for distress. Now, much less so, as a result of the GP gave trigger for optimism and hope.
With time patterns can be established and we’ll higher perceive the place Bastianini is, however this has been probably the most complicated weekends I can keep in mind for a rider.
Fabio Di Giannantonio – 6
Like with Binder, it’s laborious to be too essential of Fabio Di Giannantonio when the man is so contemporary from surgical procedure and damage that he’s barely executed a exercise since he crashed on the Sepang check firstly of February.
Presumably the depleted bodily situation Di Giannantonio was competing with this weekend was a think about his retirement on Saturday, which was as a result of the bike acquired too sizzling for him to proceed using.
Sunday seemed a bit higher for him and he managed a top-10, and it’s actually laborious to say precisely how spectacular that’s as a result of solely he is aware of how his physique has felt in what has been his first MotoGP race in 4 months.
We’ll see the place Di Giannantonio is when he’s recovered some extra of his health, however you’d suppose tenth place hasn’t been on his winter wishlist.
Jack Miller – 7
Jack Miller was the perfect Yamaha on Friday and in qualifying, which was spectacular. However he crashed within the Dash and light to eleventh within the GP, which was much less so.
He began nicely on Sunday and was sixth for some time, however after a couple of laps he became one thing of a highway block with fading grip, not helped by a unfastened fairing that he needed to manually maintain in on the straights.
Then, the Yamaha isn’t the perfect bike to be using if you’re on the defence.
Maybe the lasting reminiscence of this weekend for Miller, although, can be that velocity – no less than till we get to Argentina.
Luca Marini – 5
twelfth for Luca Marini matches his greatest outcome for Honda, however the actuality is that Honda has moved on. Joan Mir and Johann Zarco each had top-10 potential this weekend, and Marini simply didn’t.
Fermin Aldeguer – 6
thirteenth was most likely not the debut Fermin Aldeguer was dreaming of, and being 17 seconds behind Ai Ogura on the finish of the primary Grand Prix was most likely not what most individuals have been anticipating from him, both.
He didn’t crash, he completed each races, and his Q1 efficiency was pretty promising even when he missed out on Q2.
However the velocity, normally, was pretty underwhelming, as a result of, rookie or not, he’s on no less than the second-best bike on the grid.
Miguel Oliveira – 4
It was a poor weekend for Yamaha, and Miguel Oliveira having optimistic sides to a 14th is proof of that.
Fabio Quartararo – 3
Considered one of Oliveira’s optimistic factors was that he beat Fabio Quartararo within the Grand Prix, the Frenchman ending fifteenth. He struggled with grip and implied there might have been a tyre downside, however in the end it was a outcome far beneath the 2021 World Champion’s expectations.
Maverick Vinales – 3
Maverick Vinales has been reverse to his Tech3 teammate, Enea Bastianini, in adapting to the KTM. Bastianini has delivered no less than one good outcome having mentioned all winter that he was struggling, whereas Vinales has spoken positively in regards to the bike all by means of preseason, after which delivered 14-16 outcomes on the primary weekend.
No factors, and he was battling within the first half of the race with Somkiat Chantra. With all due respect to the Thai rookie, Vinales needs to be additional up the highway than LCR Honda’s latest recruit.
Alex Rins – 3
One other Yamaha and one other wrestle. 17-17 for Alex Rins, whose leg was burned to such an extent within the Grand Prix that it prevented him from using as he needed. He no less than felt he made progress on nook entry within the Sunday race, however a seventeenth regardless of that progress is an indication of the place he appears to be – however it is just spherical one, a caveat related to all this weekend, after all.
Somkiat Chantra – 6
Coming into the season, there was real concern about Somkiat Chantra who struggled considerably in testing as he tailored to MotoGP.
However his first race went fairly nicely.
He completed final of the riders who didn’t crash, however he was solely 31 seconds off the win and much from indifferent from the sector. There have been even flashes of velocity at moments in observe, and so Chantra can depart Buriram understanding that he’s a MotoGP rider, not only a bike racer who occurs to experience a MotoGP bike.
Pedro Acosta – 4
nineteenth for Pedro Acosta within the Grand Prix included a crash, which is kind of one thing he’s presupposed to have sorted out for this 12 months.
It’s laborious to say if it’s optimistic or adverse that he crashed out when there wasn’t an particularly good outcome on supply, anyway. He was ninth when he crashed at flip one on lap 4, and possibly he would’ve gotten to sixth – the place he completed the Dash – with Bezzecchi by the tip, however for a rider who desires to win it could actually’t have been a weekend that delivered a lot satisfaction.
Lorenzo Savadori – 6
Filling in for Jorge Martin this weekend, the primary factor for Lorenzo Savadori to do was not crash. He achieved that, and was subsequently in a position to do some extra work for Aprilia. It was the job of Raul Fernandez, Bezzecchi, and Ogura to ship the outcomes this weekend, and no less than two of them managed that.
So, final, however acceptably so for Savadori.
Joan Mir – 5
Some extent within the Dash was the hope for Joan Mir, and he seemed set for an additional top-10 within the Grand Prix earlier than he, you guessed it, crashed out. It simply appears to be what he does at this level, solely now he’s throwing away extra factors when he falls than he was throwing away final 12 months.
Raul Fernandez – 4
Raul Fernandez was considerably embarrassed by his rookie teammate this 12 months, and didn’t end the GP as a result of his entrance tyre overheated when he caught Jack Miller. He did present some respectable velocity, although, and was having a strong race earlier than his entrance tyre points and subsequent retirement.
