Marquez Brothers Lead as Bagnaia Faces Setbacks in 2025 MotoGP…

The 2025 MotoGP Thailand practice resulted in an unexpected turn of events as Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez claimed the top two spots. Bagnaia faced challenges that left him in thirteenth despite his strong potential. The competitive nature of this season promises intense rivalries and strategies heading into qualifying.

The opening day of the 2025 MotoGP season in Thailand showcased an unexpected format, with Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez leading the charge for Ducati. Despite entering the event with high hopes following strong pre-season testing, the first practice session flipped the narrative. Marc Marquez initially topped the charts, only to be surpassed by his brother Alex, who clocked a quick time of 1m29.020s, utilizing a near-identical Ducati setup driven by the 2024 engine.

Both Marquez brothers exhibited a competitive spirit during testing, often exchanging gestures when one outperformed the other. “Of course, if somebody beats you, you are never happy. But when it’s your brother, it’s okay… The biggest surprise of the pre-season was my brother, but it’s not a surprise anymore,” remarked Marc Marquez concerning Alex’s impressive performance. However, yellow flags hindered Marc’s potential run, leading to the cancellation of his strong 1m28.891s lap time.

The top ten times reflected past testing performances, with Pedro Acosta indicating KTM’s strength in third and Marco Bezzecchi from Aprilia following in fourth. Joan Mir kept his momentum from pre-season in sixth, while Fabio Quartararo exemplified consistency, mirroring an eighth-place result. Contrastingly, Francesco Bagnaia, the reigning double world champion, encountered struggles that dropped him to thirteenth after a mishap during the practice session.

Bagnaia’s unfortunate day included the cancellation of a promising time due to an erroneous yellow flag call and an obstacle from a fellow competitor. Despite his struggles, he remains optimistic, noting improvement in pace and expressing satisfaction with his performance. “Yeah, today we closed a bit the gap, with the same tyre… So, happy with it,” Bagnaia stated after the session, indicating he is prepared for the upcoming qualifying round.

As riders head into qualifying, the competitive nature of the session is apparent, given the tight margins observed in practice. Marc Marquez’s average lap pace of 1m30.017s positioned him strongly, while Bagnaia trailed at 0.170s slower on average. The pressure intensifies as Bagnaia aims to advance beyond Q1 amidst the escalating competition from challengers.

The implications for the remaining field are significant, with Ducati’s internal rivalry heightened. Marc Marquez’s performance, alongside Alex Marquez’s impressive pacing, means the battle for top positions is far from settled. Honda’s participation, highlighted by Joan Mir’s progress, enhances the competitive landscape, and Yamaha’s Quartararo continues to pose a strong challenge.

The inaugural practice session for the 2025 MotoGP in Thailand demonstrated the competitive prowess of the Marquez brothers, with Marc and Alex showcasing strength at Ducati. While Marc initially led, his brother eclipsed him in times. However, Bagnaia’s struggles signify a challenging start to his season, as he aims to recover and secure a strong qualifying performance. The overall environment remains highly competitive, with notable performances from other manufacturers.

Original Source: www.crash.net