The 2025 MotoGP season commenced with Marc and Alex Marquez dominating practice in Thailand. Bagnaia faced misfortune with a canceled lap and ultimately ranked thirteenth. This season is expected to be competitive, with various riders maintaining promising pace as they head into qualifiers.
The commencement of the 2025 MotoGP season unfolded unusually, particularly for Ducati’s prominent duo, Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia. On the first practice day in Thailand, Marquez initially led the timesheets with a time of 1m29.072s, only to be surpassed by his younger brother Alex Marquez, who clocked in at 1m29.020s. The team opted to utilize their 2024 engine and chassis configurations.
During the practice, moments of sibling rivalry were apparent, marked by playful gestures exchanged between the Marquez brothers. Marc Marquez acknowledged his brother’s surprising performance throughout the preseason, stating, “Of course, if somebody beats you, you are never happy. But when it’s your brother, it’s ok…The biggest surprise of the pre-season was my brother, but it’s not a surprise anymore.” However, Marc’s potential fastest lap was revoked due to yellow flags during the race.
The top ten, reflective of earlier testing stages, saw Pedro Acosta in third place for KTM, while Marco Bezzecchi from Aprilia maintained a strong fourth despite a crash. Joan Mir and Fabio Quartararo, representing Honda and Yamaha respectively, finished sixth and eighth. Contrarily, Francesco Bagnaia faced misfortune, being placed thirteenth after a series of incidents during the practice.
The cancellation of Bagnaia’s promising lap came after his time of 1m29.492s was incorrectly deemed invalid due to yellow flag conditions triggered by a crash. He later encountered a setback when fellow VR46 Academy member Franco Morbidelli interfered with his critical lap time. Nevertheless, Bagnaia expressed some optimism, stating, “Yeah, today we closed a bit the gap, with the same tyre.”
The average lap pace data indicated that Marc Marquez led with a significant gap, averaging 1m30.017s on a soft tire during a long run. This performance not only established Marquez’s dominance at the outset but also validated his competitive prowess against fellow riders. Analysts perceive this season to be more challenging for Bagnaia, who needs to find a balance between race pace and qualifying speed to secure his position in the championships.
Ducati’s strength appears formidable at the season start, with its entire lineup exhibiting strong performances. Both Marquez brothers look competitive, accompanied by improved showings from Honda’s Joan Mir and Yamaha’s Quartararo. Similarly, the KTM team’s Pedro Acosta displayed promising one-lap speed. As the season progresses, concerns regarding tire performance, particularly for Acosta, and Bagnaia’s stride towards heightened competitiveness, will become increasingly pivotal.
In summary, the opening day of the 2025 MotoGP season showcased an unexpected turn with Marc and Alex Marquez leading the practice times. Bagnaia faced unfortunate setbacks that hindered his performance. While Ducati’s superteam looks poised for a strong start, the competitive landscape remains tight, highlighting the need for strategic improvements as the season unfolds.
Original Source: www.crash.net
