ThaiGP: Marc Marquez opening won sprint race

Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) made a stunning statement in his debut Sprint for the factory Ducati squad, fending off his younger brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) to claim victory in the 2025 MotoGP season opener. Defending champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) secured P3, holding off a sensational charge from MotoGP rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team).

As the lights went out in Buriram, Marc Marquez launched flawlessly from pole, grabbing the holeshot into Turn 1. Bagnaia initially slotted into second, but Alex Marquez wasted no time, snatching P2 at Turn 3. Meanwhile, Ogura made a bold move around the outside at Turn 1, securing an early P4 ahead of Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP).

By Lap 3, Marc Marquez had stretched a 0.6s lead over his younger brother, while Bagnaia was losing ground, a full second behind the Gresini rider. Ogura, however, was keeping the two-time champion on high alert, relentlessly shadowing his every move.

Further down the field, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) was on a recovery mission after a disastrous start left him at the back of the pack. The Italian worked his way up to P14, while Aprilia’s hopes rested on Ogura, who remained locked in a battle with Bagnaia.

Drama struck with seven laps to go—Miller, running P6, crashed out at Turn 8, gifting Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) the title of top Yamaha rider in P6. But his position was short-lived, as a minor mistake at Turn 8 allowed Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to pounce, relegating the 2021 World Champion to P7.

As the final five laps approached, Marc Marquez held a comfortable 1.1s cushion over Alex Marquez. Bagnaia, now 1.2s adrift, was the fastest rider on track, but his charge for P2 was running out of steam. Ogura, still within half a second of Bagnaia, was desperately clinging to his podium hopes.

With two laps to go, it became clear that the podium battle was set. Marc Marquez cruised home to a dominant Sprint victory—the first time since 2019 that the #93 led the MotoGP standings.

Alex Marquez secured a strong P2, while Bagnaia bagged valuable points in P3. The ride of the day, however, belonged to rookie Ai Ogura. The reigning Moto2 World Champion finished an impressive P4, just 0.8s behind Bagnaia and 1.3s ahead of a lonely Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in P5.

Acosta took P6, with Quartararo settling for P7. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) claimed P8, while Honda HRC Castrol’s Joan Mir secured P9—offering a glimmer of hope for the Japanese manufacturer.

Standing of Sprint Race

The first Grand Prix of the 2025 season goes green at 15:00 local time (UTC +7) in Buriram.

Credit Photo : Sorawit/SNE Sports