MotoGP Riders and Team Managers reflect on Thai MotoGP

MotoGP 2025

Round One – Thailand GP – Buriram

MotoGP

Marc Marquez – P1

“It’s a dream, I cannot ask for more. We started this new journey in the perfect way, with a double victory, the Sprint and the main race, I want to thank the team as for me, it’s super important to feel good on the bike, but to feel even better in the box. With all the mechanics, I won’t say name by name I feel super good, even the team managers, I feel like they know me from 10 years ago, but I feel super good. This gives me the confidence, I’m riding in a very good way, and to share that weekend with my brother is something unreal for our family. It’s something I couldn’t expect, I cannot imagine the feeling of my father, mum and all the family, I cannot ask for more. If you ask my brother he’d say next time the opposite. Believe me he will win races this year, he’s riding super good.

“I went out I thought it would be a comfortable race, but then I understand the front tyre pressure was not inside the range, so I tried to push more on the brakes, but I saw that the tyre pressure didn’t come to the correct pressure, so I decided to slow down. Wen I was behind him, you cannot imagine I was super close all race, difficult to breath, everything was burning. I was counting the laps to remain and I had only three laps of margin, and I said I’ll be super close I don’t want to lose any laps, so I saw I was already inside and that’s when I attacked, at the remaining two or three laps. It was a tricky one.

“The last time I felt like this on a bike, Jerez 2020… was the last time I felt super good. For me it’s more important, the Malaysia test, than here, because Malaysia is tricky for me and I was riding good. So I felt calm, felt relaxed, I can’t explain. The key point I am riding because I am enjoying, if I can fight for a championship in the end its welcome.”

Alex Marquez – P2

“Super start, last week I thought to be on the podium would be great, but to be second yesterday, second today, and share all these moment with my brother is very special. It was very tough, leading was difficult, it was easy to make mistakes, i just tried to ride, not to over-ride, it’s good experience of a real MotoGP race, which will help for the future.

“[When Marc slowed] I thought it was maybe a red flag, but then thought pressure for sure, and to keep some energy for the end. In the end he overtook me and I realised he had some more, I was on the limit of my rear tyre. But I led the MotoGP race, took the experience, and still I think we’re one step back from Marc and Pecco.

“[On the 1-2 with Marc] At one moment I thought we were training, alone, so it was a super nice feeling, but he did the perfect weekend, being realistic this was our perfect start and now we need to focus on Argentina. I want to win a race, the coming races are super fun, Argentina, America, we’ll give 100 per cent.”

Pecco Bagnaia – P3

“I’m here to win, not to finish third, so I’m not happy. I’m satisfied, not fully, it could have been worse. So we did a very good job over the weekend to solve some problems we had during the test, we finished the job too late, I was starting to focus on Saturday morning, so I was a bit too late, I was struggling to finish in third place, so it’s not too bad. We’ll continue like this, I need to find my feeling from last season, and I will try and improve myself to be better.

“Rear grip honestly [was missing], today during the race I was gaining a lot on the braking, and mid corner speed I was competitive, but then I was losing too much time corner one, corner three, seven and eleven. I also had some little problems in the race but I have to focus on it and see what I can do better.

“Every time I was closing the gap [on Marc] I was losing it, because I needed to leave a bit, so I tried to just be as close as possible in case he made a mistake. The only possibility to overtake him was to have the same pace as Marc as he was playing with us. I was a little faster than him, but not that much to be able to cross that gap. I know that for the next two races I need to take the maximum I can, and then try and close the gap, I think in Argentina and in Austin let’s wait and see the race. I think Qatar and Jerez are good tracks for me. I hope Argentina will not be like here, my fingers are completing burned and the feeling is not that good.”

Franco Morbidelli – P4

“I am very happy with this race in Buriram, my first one with the team. We had two solid races, and the team did a great work. They convinced me to use the front soft tyre and it was the right choice. I couldn’t be happier with how the weekend went overall. We had a promising start, and we look forward to the next races, where we will give the maximum. We are strong, let’s see what we can do”.

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Ai Ogura – P5

“This weekend was just a miracle! I had a good Qualifying, a good Sprint Race and even a great main Race – I can’t thank my team enough. I had another good experience today, all the race behind Franco (Morbidelli) and in the front there were another three guys on Ducati. I really learned a lot from them, it was a fantastic experience. It was perfect and a good start. I’m still a rookie and at another track it’s maybe a completely different story. I just want to keep going my way and I’m open to take anything, the bad or the good.“

Marco Bezzecchi – P6

“On Saturday morning, I suffered a few small issues that affected qualifying. It’s a shame about the sprint start, but it nevertheless helped us gather important information for the full-length race. I enjoyed the race, keeping a good pace, and I’m pleased because we collected a few points, but most importantly, valuable information. It was a positive weekend. Of course, I’m still learning and need to improve in certain areas, but together with my team, we did a good job”.

Johann Zarco – P7

“It was a tough race due to the high track temperatures, but I knew everyone was struggling, so I focused on conserving energy for the final stages. I felt increasingly comfortable on the bike and was able to overtake rivals, allowing us to achieve our goal. This result is a great way to start the season, and I want to thank the team and HRC for their hard work throughout the weekend.”

Brad Binder – P8

“A really long race, for sure. I knew we had to be really easy on the rear tire and I had to be smooth on corner exit. Very tricky, especially because it is tempting to get excited and chase harder after people. I knew I had to be clever today but I also think I made a bit of a mistake with my tire choice. Anyway, I think we did a pretty good job considering it wasn’t an easy weekend. The team did a great job, so we’ll keep on fighting and hope for more in Argentina.”

Enea Bastianini – P9

“After the warm up, I feel like we made a good step so I headed to the race positive, but I did not really have the top 10 in mind. At the race start, we were quite aggressive but I made some mistakes. From the middle of the race, the feeling was better, I tried to ride much smoother, and I was lapping faster than some riders ahead. This race was really important for us, to understand my strong points, but also my weak ones, and we confirmed my sensations. I lose in the middle of the corners, especially in the slow ones, and that means we lose a few km/h, which is not good for the exit, especially with new tyres. One thing I am really happy about today though, is that I have not lost one of my strongest points on this bike, which is the end of the races, so for this I am really satisfied. Let’s see how the bike will behave in Argentina!”

Fabio Di Giannantonio – P10

“I am very happy and proud of my team, my bike and me. I think we did something great, because I haven’t trained perfectly for six months. I came here with zero test, with a new bike and with a shoulder in pain. The potential was a bit higher, but in the second half of the race I was exhausted. I was riding trying to compensate with all the rest of my body, we did an amazing work. Now I come back home, and I focus on my recovery, then we will train. I’m working very hard because the goal is big. The potential of the bike is huge, and I can be in front if I’m at my 100%”.

Jack Miller – P11

“Overall it was a good day for me. I felt pretty decent, but I had a small issue with the fairing around lap 8, which caused me to lose touch with the front group. Unfortunately, one of the clips popped out, and the whole fairing started coming loose. As you know, aerodynamics are crucial these days, and I started struggling with turning and carrying corner speed—especially in what was my strongest sector, Turns 4 and 5. On top of that, I was cooking out there because all the air was being directed straight at me. It made the race even hotter, and I actually burned my inner arms trying to hold the fairing in place on the straights. But I managed to make it to the finish line. In the end, I lost a few positions because of that, but I kept it together and brought home some points. Overall, it was a positive weekend. We‘re focused on building a solid foundation, and we‘ll keep working hard.”

Luca Marini – P12

“A good first test for the physical and mental side, we can be satisfied with how this weekend has gone. We were able to improve our pace over the weekend. Today’s race was not as physically demanding as the Sprint, you ride these long races in a different way and there were some clouds around today. More will come; we have been able to make a really good step since we were last here – just a few months ago. At the start I made a mistake with the start procedure because I arrived late and was rushing, but then I put together a really good race to come from last at the first corner to 12th. Without this we could have been up there with Mir and Zarco, fighting inside the top ten. I am happy with what we have done, and I know more will come as the season progresses.”

Fermin Aldeguer – P13

“We finished our first official race in the points and close to the top ten. There’s still a lot of work to do, especially with regards to the electronics and on how to work on the bike. We must get closer to the frontrunners bit by bit. To start the season with these temperatures and at this track wasn’t easy, but we did a good job. Now we much start back from Argentina knowing we have to make a step forward in each outing.”

Miguel Oliveira – P14

“I was expecting a very long and tough race, and that‘s exactly what we got. It was incredibly hot for all of us. It was a race about managing the tyres—we probably could have chosen a different spec, but I tried to manage them from the start. I really struggled with front grip, couldn‘t turn the bike properly, and was running wide in every corner when I still had good rear grip. Then, as the rear tire started dropping lap by lap, it became all about managing it as best as I could. In the end, I felt a little better, managed to recover some positions, and got into the points. Considering where I started, it‘s an acceptable result. Plus, we gathered some important data. From the tests, I knew our job was to close the gap to the leaders. Now, with more testing days, four bikes, and shared data, I believe we have everything we need to make that step. That remains our only focus right now.”

Fabio Quartararo – P15

“From the beginning of the Race, we had an issue with grip. I was struggling quite a lot. At first I thought that I just had to warm up the tyre more. I couldn’t push on the first lap, the bike was sliding, and I lost a lot of positions. Unfortunately, also later on I was not able to have a good pace and make a great race. It was really hot riding in the back of the pack and, all in all, it was quite a difficult one. Let’s see what we can do in Argentina.”

Maverick Viñales – P16

“The weekend has been up and down, we have been trying to understand the bike, the feeling during qualifying, sprint and main race, and I think that now we have a starting point. All we can do now is to improve! Today, I did not have a good grip, especially at the front, so I could not make proper lap times, but the rear was not too bad, we managed it well. I just had to give up a lot with the front and brake earlier in the corners, so it was not easy, but we learnt and we will improve in the next round.”

Alex Rins – P17

“For sure, it was a physical race in terms of having to handle this heat. Already in yesterday’s Sprint I could feel it a bit, but today, after lap 7, I couldn’t handle it. My leg got burned. Anyway, looking at our level of performance and cornering, we did make a small step forward. But I was also giving it my 100% every lap, and with four laps to go, I lost the front in Turn 4, and after that it was a mess trying to manage it all. For sure, this is not the result we wanted. We will take all the information and try to improve.”

Somkiat Chantra – P18

“It was an incredible experience for me. The race was tough, but I focused on avoiding mistakes and doing my best. We need to keep learning and improving. Racing in front of my home crowd has been truly amazing.”

Pedro Acosta – P19

“A tough day. A shame. We need to understand better what is going on because I had trouble stopping. After the crash trying to brake behind another rider my pace then was not too bad, the guys told me it might have been good enough for the top five. We have to move on and start again in Argentina. That’s it.”

Lorenzo Savadori – P20

“We are happy because we see that the Aprilia bikes are competitive, especially on a historically difficult track. The RS-GP25s were fast both in the race and in the time attacks, which is definitely a positive sign. As for me, it’s obviously not easy to fine-tune the set-up during a race weekend, but we’ve made some progress and some interesting aspects have emerged that will also be useful for the development of the bike”.

Raul Fernandez – DNF

“I think tonight I won’t sleep too well but, it was one of my best races in MotoGP in terms of managing everything. The mistake that I made yesterday was forgotten and I prepared everything well today. The positive thing is that, in the first 15 laps, I was in a really good position and fighting very well. I did everything to prepare the last part of the race, but after 15 laps, when I was in seventh, I tried to catch Jack (Miller) and for some reason we had overheating in the front tyre and from this moment on, the front tyre didn’t work and I had to retire because I was 1.5 seconds slower. The good thing is, the bike is working very well, I feel really comfortable, but we have to understand why we had this kind of overheating because I was using the hard front and I wasn’t in the slipstream of other riders and after only two laps behind Jack when I tried to attack him. After that, I was almost alone. I don’t understand what happened, we need to analyse well and see what happens in Argentina.”

Joan Mir – DNF

“We were having a really good weekend and a really good race; I think that what we have shown up until the crash demonstrates the improvements that myself and Honda have made during the off season. I made a small mistake trying to chase down Jack and with the conditions I wasn’t able to save it. We were putting together a really great race after losing some positions right at the start. The bike was very hot, like it was for everyone, and we need to keep working a bit on this in future races with similar conditions. A shame to end like this because I think we had the potential to fight in the front of the group, around the top five. It’s something last year we did not feel, proving we are heading in the right direction. We have lived our hardest moment this weekend and now more will come.”

Team Managers

Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager

“Marc did an incredible race, especially as with this heat it isn’t easy to stay in another rider’s slipstream for so many laps. He was excellent. We know that this is not one of Pecco’s favourite tracks and he wasn’t completely comfortable with the bike this weekend, and in this sense two third-place finishes are good; we’re at the very beginning of the championship, after all. Three Ducati machines on both podiums as well as on the front row, so I’d say we’re fully happy with the results.”

Davide Brivio – Trackhouse Aprilia Team Manager

“Another great day for the team thanks to Ai’s performance. He basically repeated the great race that we had yesterday. His pace was very good, he was always with the top guys and we are so proud to see this. Of course, we leave Thailand with a great confirmation about his talent and his potential in MotoGP. It was a difficult day for Raul. He had a great start, was in a great position, but then unfortunately, the temperature of the front tire went to high, which caused his retirement. Taking the positives from that; we were in a good shape and in the position to have a great result also with Raul. So, all the conditions are there to try again next time and we will go to Argentina trying again. Coming back to Ai, I think this great performance doesn’t change our plan, which is for him to learn as much as possible and to try to use these days to improve himself, to understand MotoGP better and to learn more and more. We reset everything, go to Argentina and then see what Ai can do there and how Raul can use the full potential that we have. Thanks to everybody in the team for a great job! It was also a wonderful way to start our relationship with Gulf this weekend. They brought us some good luck.”

Massimo Rivola – Aprilia Racing Manager

“A strong race from Aprilia. With Marco in the qualifying session, we couldn’t fully showcase his true speed, we’re proud of how he proved a fighter in the sprint and the full-length race. Seeing Ai Ogura repeat his sprint performance is wonderful, though for us, having followed him since his first laps at the Sepang shakedown, it’s no surprise. Ogura rides with incredible precision and has great confidence in the bike. Four months ago, we experienced great difficulty on this same track, and today, we were the second-best team – clear proof of the extraordinary work at Noale. Congratulations to everyone at the factory. Now, we head to Argentina highly motivated, knowing it’s a circuit that better suits our bike’s characteristics. We’ll give it our all, also to show that, on his return, Jorge will find a very competitive bike”.

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director

“Overall, it was a very difficult weekend for our team. Looking at the results, the tyre choice that we made was probably not the right one. But in the last few days, the feeling was always that we couldn’t do better with the other tyre options. We need to deeply analyse the data to understand what blocked Fabio from riding the way he usually does. Álex completely finished the rear tyre, and on top of that his bike was so hot that it burned his left leg. Today’s data will be important stepping stones as we prepare for the Argentina GP in two weeks’ time.“

Gino Borsoi – Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“It’s a real shame that Jack had that issue with the fairing; otherwise, his result could have been significantly better. However, while everything was running smoothly, he showed he was very competitive, maintaining a great pace that allowed him to stay close to the front. That‘s a highly positive takeaway. Miguel also had a good race, though his performance was obviously affected by a less-than-ideal starting position. In the scorching heat and stuck in the middle of the pack, it wasn‘t easy to climb into the points, but he managed to do it. Perhaps his tyre choice, which was different from Jack‘s, influenced his performance a bit, but there‘s no certainty about that. Overall, it was still a positive weekend for us. We did a great job, and finishing this first race of the season with both riders in the points is a well-deserved result.“

Aki Ajo – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“Generally the first race weekend of the season is very important for information, and we need a couple of races to see where we are. Every lap is important and after two tests and a GP in extreme conditions this is helpful for the future. We know we need to improve in these types of climates but we also know that when it’s a bit cooler then we are competitive. We are learning, and in this way I’m happy. Performance-wise we have work to do.”

Pablo Nieto – Team Manager Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team

“It was positive to end in P5 yesterday and in P4 today with Franco. We worked really well during the winter. It’s a pity the podium was so close, and we didn’t reach it, but we have to keep working like this and we can improve race by race. Diggia’s performance was really good, he gained a Top10 after three months away from the track, with a new bike and after a surgery. I think we must be very satisfied because it was a very demanding race, and he wasn’t even at his 70%. Now it’s important to focus on the recovery during next week to arrive to Argentina in the best way possible. We look forward to coming back to Termas, where we have great memories with the team”.

Nicolas Goyon – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager

“The Red Bull KTM Tech3 team leaves Thailand with a big smile after Enea Bastianini’s incredible performance today. The winter tests were not easy at all for him, and today’s P9 is a great reward for him. He ended up just one tenth from the best KTM of the day. Enea is a strong finisher, and today we saw that he can still be one on the KTM. He rode his fastest lap very late, and we are happy about this result for our first race together. It was a bit trickier for Maverick Viñales this weekend. He narrowly missed Q2 on Friday, and the story was different all weekend. He is still learning the bike, and he had a few issues during the race, but I think he just needs more time on the RC16, and he will be soon fighting with the others. Thank you everyone for the weekend, we will pack and head to Argentina in two weeks!”

Piero Taramasso – Michelin

“This is the first time we’ve encountered such conditions in Buriram!  Never before we recorded 60°C on the Thai track. In such an inferno, and given the rear tire wear measured after the Tissot Sprint, we were right to confirm the allocation of reinforced tires, which we had already introduced here last year. Thanks to their increased resistance, riders managed the race without major difficulties. Traction control played a key role in this season-opening Grand Prix. Despite the stifling heat and its constraints, lap times remained close to those of 2024, and Marc Marquez even set a new record, whereas last year’s conditions were much more favorable. Overall, it’s a very positive result.”

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