Thailand Grand Prix rider ratings as Pedro Acosta suffers disaster but surprise package gets 9/10

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The MotoGP season-opener in Thailand wasn’t the most exciting of affairs but did see the return of the Marquez brothers to the podium together for just the second time.

Marc Marquez was in dominant form on his way to a debut victory for the Ducati factory team, securing a one-two with his brother Alex.

Francesco Bagnaia struggled to match the pace of the Spaniards all weekend and could only manage third at the Grand Prix of Thailand.

Pedro Acosta’s first race with KTM ended up being a disaster, after an early crash saw him drop to the back and fail to recover.

Honda showed signs of improvement and may have had two bikes in the top 10 if Joan Mir had not suffered an accident halfway through the race.

It was a difficult event for Yamaha and Aprilia, given that one struggled and the other is still missing their headline rider to injury. They could easily enjoy better weekends in Argentina.

Joan Mir – 6

Excellent pace, but a silly crash ruined what was set to be a brilliant day. There was more on the table and his reaction showed it.

Raul Fernandez – 4

Promising signs at different stages in the weekend, but still can’t string everything together. Time is running out to prove himself and he won’t be able to use the injury excuse for long.

Lorenzo Savadori – 3

He had a really tough job replacing Jorge Martin and did so without incident. The pace just isn’t there though and he needs to try and find a little more in Argentina.

Pedro Acosta – 4

An underwhelming KTM debut. There is reason to be worried about their bike, but he did show enough to suggest he may be their brightest spark currently.

Somkiat Chantra – 6

For a rider making his debut, he did an acceptable job. There’s plenty to learn but it’s a good starting point.

Alex Rins – 4

Struggled with burns on Sunday, which may explain part of his result. Still struggling though and needs to find improvements soon.

Maverick Vinales – 5

Seems comfortable over one lap, but is falling off on longer stints. Moving to KTM put a smile on his face but it might not last long at this rate.

Fabio Quartararo – 5

Pre-season promised that Yamaha would deliver more this year. They failed to in Buriram and didn’t like the weather conditions. Quartararo will get better.

Miguel Oliveira – 5

For his first race on a new bike, which he struggled on at testing, it was an acceptable start. There should be more to come when he sorts his grip woes out.

Fermin Aldeguer – 5

He’s a very raw prospect, but his teammate was on the podium and showed that Gresini can compete for wins in 2025. Top 10 has to be the target for Argentina.

Luca Marini – 6

Honda are moving in the right direction and Marini will benefit from it. Nothing spectacular but kept it clean.

Jack Miller – 7

The best-placed Yamaha rider and far happier away from KTM. A podium isn’t out of the question for the Aussie in 2025.

Fabio Di Giannantonio – 6

Did a decent job despite his lingering pre-season injuries. When fully fit, he has teased there are some positive times ahead.

Enea Bastianini – 6

Major improvements on Sunday were encouraging. Rest of the weekend felt fairly downbeat. He will bring something extra to Tech3 this season.

Brad Binder – 6

In classic Binder fashion, he came out of nowhere and secured a good haul of points. Classic, dependable and what you expect from the South African.

Johann Zarco – 7

Managed what Mir couldn’t do, secured a big top 10 finish. Deserves a lot of credit for the improvements and should reap the rewards from them soon.

Marco Bezzecchi – 6

Leading the team on his own will be a struggle, but he still picked up some good points. Will be in the hunt for podiums.

Ai Ogura – 10

What a debut. Unflustered by his rivals all weekend and filled the mirrors of a two-time champion on Sunday. A pleasant surprise.

Franco Morbidelli – 7

Unnecessary to block Bagnaia on Friday, but otherwise showed what VR46 are capable of. Could snatch a win this year.

Francesco Bagnaia – 6

By his own high standards, the pace just wasn’t there, as was the case through pre-season. Could be in for a tough few Grands Prix before a win is on the cards.

Alex Marquez – 9

It wasn’t a first win, hence the Spaniard doesn’t receive a 10, but he proved why he deserves to compete at the highest level. An excellent performance.

Marc Marquez – 9

Dealt with a warning well during the race, but didn’t feel the need to coast into the distance. It was dominant, but it’s frightening for his rivals that there may have been more in the tank.