Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati continued their dominance in MotoGP by locking out the podium at the Thailand Grand Prix. The factory team finished one and three in Buriram.
It was hard to look past Marc Marquez for victory in the 2025 season opener after he blitzed the field in pre-season testing. The Spaniard carried that momentum into his debut weekend with Ducati.
The 32-year-old grabbed pole position while teammate Francesco Bagnaia missed out on Q2 after he was impeded by Franco Morbidelli in practice. The Italian recovered to finish third in the Sprint as Marquez cruised to victory ahead of satellite Ducait rider and brother Alex Marquez.
The six-time MotoGP champion capped off a brilliant weekend by winning the Grand Prix on Sunday. Marquez lost the lead to his brother after a tyre pressure issue but regained the advantage with a handful of laps remaining.
The result marked the first time in the premier class that two brothers finished first and second. Father Julia Marquez was ‘overwhelmed’ after seeing his sons lock out the top two.
Luigi Dall’Igna kissed the other two Ducatis off camera after shocking Italy with Marc Marquez bike kiss
Marc Marquez grabbing maximum points in Thailand – while a great start for Ducati – was a hammer blow for Bagnaia. The Italian had been looking to stamp his authority after losing the 2024 title to Jorge Martin by 10 points.
Many in the paddock felt Marquez would beat Bagnaia at Ducati heading into the season. After the first race of the season, it is clear the former has the advantage.
Bagnaia was a passenger in the race as he offered little threat to his teammate and Alex Marquez. With the next two races in Argentina and Austin being strong tracks for Marc Marquez, the two-time champion faces a challenging start to the season.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy
Neil Hodgson says Bagnaia looked beaten after the Thailand Grand Prix. His body language spoke volumes as his teammate and title rival dominated him.
Ducati chief Luigi Dall’Igna was seen kissing Marquez’s number on his GP25 after the race. Bagnaia would not have liked that but in a report by Marca, the cameras did not catch the boss returning the favour to the other bike.
While the images of Dall’Igna kissing Marquez’s bike ‘shocked’ Italy, what they did not see was the Ducati chief doing the same to Alex Marquez and Bagnaia’s bike. This should put the Italian fans more at ease, but the result in Buriram will still be playing on Bagnaia’s mind going into Argentina.
The worrying thing already happening to Francesco Bagnaia ‘inside the Ducati garage’
Marc Marquez may already be playing mind games with Bagnaia as he looks to grab his seventh MotoGP title this year. The latter had hoped to be the lead rider from the off in 2025, but he finds himself lagging behind.
Ducati engineers are already gravitating towards Marquez as he stands the best chance of winning races. While there are still 21 rounds to go, it is difficult to see Bagnaia getting the upper hand anytime soon.
In fact, Sylvain Guintoli sees Qatar as Bagnaia’s ‘first chance’ to beat Marquez. The Italian will look to get the edge over his teammate sooner.
Bagnaia tried to leave the press conference early in Buriram due to persistent questions about the Marquez brothers. He is already tired of being the ‘plus one’ on the Marquez show.
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