On the first day of MotoGP’s concluding pre-season test for 2025 in Thailand, the Marquez brothers, Marc and Alex, dominated the timesheets.

Amidst the sweltering conditions at Buriram, Alex Marquez from Gresini Racing quickly established himself as a frontrunner, recording a time of 1m29.649s early in the session that would hold the top spot for most of the day.

This impressive lap remained unbeaten until a thrilling late surge from factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez, who, sitting second in the standings at that moment, unleashed a remarkable 1m29.184s just moments before the end of the session.

Top Standings

1. Marc Marquez (Ducati)
2. Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati)
3. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia)
4. Pedro Acosta (KTM)
5. Johann Zarco (LCR Honda)

Full results available at the bottom of the page

Throughout the day, Marc Marquez, as noted by Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi, focused on optimizing his riding posture to enhance his comfort level on the bike. Ultimately, he finished just half a second shy of the lap record held by teammate Pecco Bagnaia.

Expectations are growing that Marquez and Bagnaia’s Ducati team will continue utilizing the 2024-spec Desmosedici engine for this year and the next instead of transitioning to the newer version. It was significant to note that both riders primarily tested an older aerodynamic configuration on Wednesday, aligning themselves closer to competitors with the previous GP24 model, like Alex Marquez.

“We have to freeze our specifications for two years, and we want to minimize risks,” Tardozzi explained to MotoGP.com. “The 2024 engine has previously provided solid feedback and reliability, and I believe that will influence our decision.”

Franco Morbidelli, the only representative for VR46 Ducati at this test due to Fabio Di Giannantonio’s injury, recorded an improvement with less than a minute remaining, securing a formidable 1-2-3 finish for Ducati, albeit slightly behind the leading lap time.

With reigning champion Jorge Martin absent due to a controversial crash early in the Sepang test, Marco Bezzecchi showcased impressive speed aboard the 2025-spec Aprilia, finishing in fourth place. However, the gap to the leaders expanded thanks to Marc Marquez’s last-minute performance.

Pedro Acosta emerged as the top-performing KTM rider in fifth, consistently competing well, while his teammate, Brad Binder, briefly got within a tenth and a half of Acosta before a late-session crash.

The session remained tightly contested until Marc Marquez’s late effort, resulting in 11 riders finishing within just nine-tenths of a second apart.

Remarkably, three of those competitors were from Honda, who made a strong impression on Wednesday, particularly through Luca Marini’s impressive sixth-fastest lap on what is expected to be a Honda-favorable track at Buriram.

Conversely, Yamaha, spearheaded by newcomer Jack Miller, wasn’t able to match the impressive performance from Sepang, with star rider Fabio Quartararo expressing dissatisfaction with his front tire options, contributing to his struggles on the track. Nevertheless, Quartararo remains optimistic, asserting that Yamaha is “in a solid position” regarding performance.

Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) dominated the rookie category once again, with Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) closely following, despite both suffering crashes during the session. They were, however, not as prominent as they were in Sepang, benefiting from additional shakedown days then.

Ogura’s teammate, Raul Fernandez, put in an impressive performance, logging nearly 70 laps on the track, particularly commendable given his recent hand injury.

Day One Results

1. Marc Marquez (Ducati) 1m29.184s
2. Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) 1m29.649s
3. Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) 1m29.683s
4. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) 1m29.794s
5. Pedro Acosta (KTM) 1m29.904s
6. Luca Marini (Honda) 1m29.928s
7. Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) 1m29.961s
8. Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) 1m30.028s
9. Brad Binder (KTM) 1m30.041s
10. Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha) 1m30.047s
11. Joan Mir (Honda) 1m30.067s
12. Alex Rins (Yamaha) 1m30.206s
13. Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) 1m30.233s
14. Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) 1m30.373s
15. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) 1m30.453s
16. Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM) 1m30.461s
17. Miguel Oliveira (Pramac Yamaha) 1m30.738s
18. Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM) 1m30.827s
19. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) 1m30.975s
20. Somkiat Chantra (LCR Honda) 1m31.208s
21. Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) 1m31.730s