Thailand GP 2025 Race Recap: Márquez’s Ducati Reign Begins with Victory

MotoGP 2025 could not have asked for a more dramatic and symbolic season opener. Under the blazing Thai sun, Marc Márquez delivered a statement win in the Grand Prix of Thailand, his very first race on a Ducati. Márquez outdueled his own younger brother, Álex Márquez, in a thrilling late-race battle to take victory by 1.7 seconds at the Chang International Circuit motorsport.com motorsport.com . It was a Márquez family 1–2 on the podium and a dream debut for Marc in Ducati colors, signaling that the marriage of the sport’s most decorated active rider with its most dominant bike might be as potent as advertised. Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia completed the podium in third place, salvaging a solid result for Ducati Lenovo Team after a challenging start, while Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) and impressive rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) rounded out the top five. But the day belonged to the Márquez brothers and the sensational storyline unfolding between them.

A Tale of Two Starts

At the race start, pole-sitter Marc Márquez launched cleanly off the line to grab the holeshot into Turn 1 motorsport.com . But it was Ducati teammate Bagnaia who got an even better initial jump from P3 on the grid – Bagnaia briefly powered ahead of Álex Márquez into second by Turn 1 thanks to the GP25’s acceleration motorsport.com . However, as the pack funneled into the sharp Turn 3 hairpin, chaos struck: Bagnaia and Álex Márquez made slight contact on corner exit motorsport.com , sending Álex momentarily wide and allowing Japanese rookie Ai Ogura on the Trackhouse Aprilia to sneak through into a stunning second place. Álex recovered quickly, repassing both Ogura and Bagnaia within a couple of corners motorsport.com , but the shuffle allowed Marc to sprint 1.5 seconds clear in the lead by the end of Lap 2. Behind the Márquez brothers, the opening lap incident also bottled up Bagnaia, dropping him to fourth behind Ogura for a few laps. Franco Morbidelli made a lightning start on his year-old VR46 Ducati, emerging fifth. Conversely, Jorge Martín’s debut on the Aprilia was troubled immediately – he wheelied off the line and got swamped into Turn 1, ending Lap 1 outside the top ten. Things would only get worse for the reigning champ as the race progressed.

Strategy and a Sibling Showdown

As Marc Márquez led the early laps, something unexpected happened on Lap 7: Marc deliberately slowed down on the back straight and ceded the lead to Álex motorsport.com . Fans and commentators were momentarily in disbelief – did the great Márquez have a mechanical issue? But within a few corners Marc was back up to speed, settling in comfortably behind Álex’s Gresini Ducati. It later became clear this was a strategic masterstroke: Marc had noticed his front tire pressures creeping too high in the turbulent air while pushing out front. By letting Álex by, Marc got a clear track ahead of his front tire to cool it, all while studying his brother’s lines and conserving his own tires motorsport.com . It was high-speed chess at 300 km/h – a hallmark of Marc’s race IQ.

Álex Márquez, now leading in uncharted territory, put in a series of fast laps despite the immense pressure. The Gresini rider knew this was a golden opportunity for his maiden MotoGP win and pushed as hard as his GP24 Ducati would allow. But the effort began taking a toll: with about 5 laps to go, Álex’s rear tire grip visibly started fading motorsport.com . His lead over Marc, which had been hovering around half a second, began to shrink. Marc, sensing the moment, had been patiently stalking and preserving his tire. On Lap 23 of 26, he made his move – a classic Márquez block-pass up the inside into Turn 12, catching Álex slightly off-guard motorsport.com . The crowd erupted as the brothers briefly ran side-by-side, but Marc’s factory Ducati had the better drive and he seized the lead. Once in front again, Marc immediately upped the pace, dipping into the 1m30s lap bracket to pull away. He later revealed, “I slowed down on purpose earlier to manage the tire temps. Once I attacked, I knew I could go.” Indeed, he pumped in his fastest lap on the penultimate circuit. Álex, giving it everything he had, couldn’t respond in those final three laps – his rear tire was “completely on the limit,” he said. Nevertheless, Álex comfortably held second, finishing 1.7 seconds behind Marc and a few tenths ahead of Bagnaia at the flag.

Marc Márquez’s victory – along with having also won Saturday’s Sprint race – means he leaves Thailand with a perfect 37 points haul (25 for the win + 12 for sprint) and an early championship lead motorsport.com . It also marked Ducati’s 23rd Grand Prix win in a row, continuing the streak from last season before it would finally be snapped later in the year en.wikipedia.org . For Álex Márquez, second place was still a triumph: his first premier-class podium (and nearly a win) – an emotional moment as the siblings embraced parc fermé with big smiles, their father looking on tearfully.

Bagnaia Battles Back, Ogura Shines

Francesco Bagnaia had a relatively quiet race to third, but it was an important salvage job. After the early scuffle dropped him to P4, Pecco spent half the race stuck behind the sensational Ai Ogura. The Japanese rookie was arguably the ride of the day in the first half: he not only held his own in P3, but even challenged Álex Márquez briefly before sensibly settling into a rhythm motorsport.com . Ogura’s smooth style belied his lack of MotoGP experience; he later admitted, “I was just focused on my markers and didn’t realize I was P3 until I saw the pit board!” Eventually, Bagnaia’s pressure paid off on Lap 15, as the Ducati’s superior grip on corner exit let him slipstream past Ogura on the front straight. Once through, Bagnaia inched away to secure third, but by then the Márquez duo were too far gone (over 4 seconds ahead). Bagnaia expressed mixed feelings: “I had the pace to fight for win, but after that Turn 3 contact I lost my rhythm. Still, a podium is a decent start.”

Ogura, meanwhile, continued a mature ride to fifth place by the finish, narrowly beaten to fourth by Franco Morbidelli. Morbidelli’s experience paid dividends as he overtook Ogura with three laps remaining. Nevertheless, P5 for Ogura on debut is a remarkable achievement and gave the new Trackhouse Aprilia team a reason to celebrate. He finished as top Aprilia rider, since Jorge Martín’s turbulent race ended in disappointment – Martín crashed out on Lap 18 while running a lowly 12th, losing the front in Turn 5. The defending champion’s tough weekend (including a sprint DNF) means he leaves Thailand with zero points, a huge early deficit to Márquez.

Also notable: Johann Zarco put on a passing clinic from 12th on the grid to finish 7th on the best Honda motorsport.com , showing that Honda still has some fight. Zarco picked off riders steadily, including a bold move on KTM’s Brad Binder in the closing laps. Binder (8th) and Enea Bastianini (9th on the Tech3 KTM) were the only KTM riders in the points after a difficult day for the Austrian marque – Maverick Viñales retired with a mechanical issue, and rookie Pedro Acosta crashed out on Lap 3 (remounted to finish 19th). Rounding out the top ten was Fabio Di Giannantonio on the VR46 Ducati, an quiet but solid race for the young Italian.

Marc’s Masterclass & Ducati Delight

This race will be remembered for Marc Márquez’s strategic genius and flawless execution. He demonstrated patience when needed, then merciless speed when it counted – a combination that only the greatest champions possess. “I knew if I fought Álex too early, we would both destroy our tires,” Marc explained in the post-race press conference. Instead, he effectively managed his front tire by tucking in behind his brother, a move that caught even his own team by surprise. Once he attacked, he did so decisively. It’s worth noting Marc also took victory in Saturday’s Sprint, meaning he achieved the coveted “Triple Crown” for the weekend: pole position, Sprint win, and Grand Prix win cycleworld.com – a clean sweep that last occurred many seasons ago motogp.com .

Ducati Team Manager Davide Tardozzi hailed Márquez’s debut: “We expected Marc to be strong, but this was a masterclass. He managed the race like a true champion and brought home maximum points – perfetto.”

For Álex Márquez, there’s heartbreak in coming so close to a maiden win, but immense pride too. This result marks the first ever MotoGP premier-class sibling 1-2 finish. Álex proved he can fight at the very front and that his winless days may be numbered. “Of course I’m a little disappointed to lose the win, but if I have to lose to anyone, losing to my brother – a legend – it’s okay,” Álex said with a grin. Importantly, he also showed Gresini Ducati will be a factor this year against the factory squads.

Ducati leaves Thailand thrilled: a victory, double podium, and five Ducati bikes in the top six positions underline that the Bologna bullets are still the bikes to beat. The only hiccup in Ducati’s camp was the crash of Luca Marini (Honda) and an inconspicuous race for new Pramac Yamaha duo Miller and Oliveira, who finished 13th and 15th respectively in their Yamaha debut, struggling with top speed deficits.

Championship Standings (After Round 1 of 22):

Marc Márquez (Ducati) – 37 pts (25 + 12 from Sprint)
Álex Márquez (Gresini Ducati) – 20 pts (20+0; Álex did not score in Sprint after a costly Turn 1 mistake there)
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) – 16 pts
Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) – 13 pts
Ai Ogura (Aprilia) – 11 pts

(Jorge Martín and others yet to score.) It’s only the first race, but Marc Márquez has served notice that his pursuit of a seventh MotoGP crown is off to the perfect start. Next up is Argentina in two weeks, where the question will be: can anyone slow down the Márquez-Ducati express?

For now, the MotoGP world is savoring an opening round that lived up to the hype and then some – with a historic family affair on the podium and a legend in new colors taking the top step in style motorsport.com .

Marc Márquez (1st place): “What a way to start the year! I want to thank Ducati for this opportunity – the bike is fantastic. I had a big smile inside my helmet the last lap. To share the podium with Álex, that’s a dream. He pushed me so hard; the Márquez brothers are here!” motorsport.com

Álex Márquez (2nd place): “It hurts a bit to lead so many laps and not win, but I’m really happy. We managed a Gresini bike between two factory Ducatis – amazing. Congrats to Marc, today he was smarter. I learned a lot following him. My time will come, hopefully soon.”