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MotoGP 2025 : Marquez brothers dominate the season opener at Buriram

Marquez brothers dominate the opening weekend of MotoGP at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram. This is the first 1-2 for brothers in MotoGP history.

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MotoGP 2025 : Marquez brothers dominate the season opener at Buriram

The 2025 MotoGP season roared to life under the blisteringly hot sun at Buriram’s Chang International Circuit. The first GP of this season delivered a historic and emotional comeback for Marc Marquez who won a season opener since 2014 and is leading the championship for the first time since Valencia 2019. Join us as we review, session by session, the spectacle of the Thai GP.

Marc Márquez returns with a bang

MotoGP 2025 : Marquez brothers dominate the season opener at Buriram
Marc Márquez posing on the podium after snagging the victory. Credit: Motogp.com

In his debut in red, Marc Márquez comes in with a bang, snatching the triple-pole position in qualifying, victory in the sprint race and victory in the Grand Prix. He has an overall amazing weekend, comfortably cruising to a victory in the sprint race. This was Marc’s s 63rd MotoGP win and his third in Thailand (along with 2018 and 2019). He also equalled MotoGP Legend Dani Pedrosa in third on the list of riders with the most MotoGP podiums with 112.

However, in the Grand Prix, he inexplicably drops down to P2 behind his brother on the sixth lap.

Allegedly, this was due to the tire pressure rule – Márquez had to keep his tire pressure over 1.82 bar for at least 60% of the race or suffer a 15-second penalty. If Marquez were to keep leading the pack, he would’ve been allegedly in violation of this rule, so he dropped behind his brother to pick up heat form his bike and keep the tire pressure high enough. He did overtake Alex in the final laps of the GP, winning the debut round of a season for the first time in 11 years.

Alex Márquez a surprising second

MotoGP 2025 : Marquez brothers dominate the season opener at Buriram
Alex entering the pitlane after coming 2nd. Credit: @GresiniRacing on X

Alex Márquez had a standout weekend – he qualified in P2, came second in the sprint and came second in the Grand Prix. He even led the GP for almost 18 laps. Throughout the sprint, he masterfully defended against Francesco Bagnaia, retaining his position. Even while he was leading his brother, he gave him a hard time overtaking.

Alex’s record has shown that he takes time to get in form. He won the Moto3 championship in his 3rd year in the series, and the Moto2 championship in his 5th. Currently, this would be Alex’s 6th year in MotoGP. Could he be a title contender this season, going against Pecco, Martin or even his brother Marc?

Ai Ogura’s MotoGP Debut, Aprilia capable enough for Martin?

MotoGP 2025 : Marquez brothers dominate the season opener at Buriram
Ai Ogura at Buriram. – Photo – MotoGP

Of the four rookies this year, Ai Ogura was the best performer in the Thai GP. Riding on an Aprilia for Trackhouse Racing, Ogura qualified P5. His performance in the sprint was consistent, holding on to P4 throughout 14 laps, fending off the likes of Miller and Morbidelli. In the beginning of the GP, Ogura was even pressuring Bagnaia from P4, however, in the later laps he fell behind to P5, being overtaken by Morbidelli.

Seeing the Aprilia being placed consistently in the top 5 by a rookie must have instilled some extra confidence in Jorge Martin about the capabilities of the bike. Unfortunately, it appears like Martin is going to be out of the picture for a few more races to come, no thanks to the surgery he underwent.

KTM all over the grid, Acosta underperforms

MotoGP 2025 : Marquez brothers dominate the season opener at Buriram
Acosta before the GP. Credit : @KTM_Racing on X

Of all the manufacturers, KTM’s performance in the debut round was the most underwhelming. Only one of their riders, Pedro Acosta, even made it into Q2. KTM’s best performer in the sprint race was Acosta, who finished in P6, with Binder in P8. The Tech3 crew consisting of Viñales and Bastianini finished in a disappointing P14 and P18 respectively.

In the Grand Prix, Acosta botched the start and fell back into P9. He tried to fight for a total of three laps, after which he crashed out and fell straight to the back of the pack. KTM’s best performer in the GP was Binder, who finished in P8.

Safe to say, this was an underwhelming performance for KTM. Last year, KTM looked like the only manufacturer who could challenge the Ducati dominance. Along with that, they had built a star studded roster with the likes of Bastianini and Viñales. However, both of them have not yet been able to adapt to the bike, and are performing below their potential.

The comeback of the Japanese manufacturers?

MotoGP 2025 : Marquez brothers dominate the season opener at Buriram
Johann Zarco, Honda’s best performer this weekend. Credit : @HondaRacingGLB on X

Unlike last year, Yamaha and Honda are not at the absolute back of the pack! In fact, Honda had two riders finish in the Top 10 for the sprint race, and one in the GP too. Johann Zarco finished P7 for his best result with Honda, which is also Honda’s best result since Marc
Marquez was sixth in Thailand in 2023.

Meanwhile, Yamaha had Quartararo finish P7 in the sprint race, and Miller finish just out of the Top 10 in the Grand Prix. This is a sign of improvement for the Japanese manufacturers. It remains to be seen whether they will carry this momentum throughout this season and the next, and if they will be competing for the top anytime soon.

Highlights of the Thai GP

Following are some moments in the weekend that I consider particularly exciting :

  • The battle between PA37 and BB33 for P8 in the sprint race.
  • JM43’s crash out from P6 in the sprint race.
  • PA37’s crash out in the third lap of the Grand Prix.
  • The battle between JM43 and MB72 in the Grand Prix.
  • Marc’s overtake on Alex in the Grand Prix.

Championship Standing

This is what the championship standings look like after the Thai GP :

MotoGP 2025 : Marquez brothers dominate the season opener at Buriram
Top 10 Rider standings. Credit : @MotoGP on X

Read more posts on MotoGP here.

Desi Racing Co is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

MotoGP

MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro’s Search for a Win Continues

Marco Bezzecchi makes the most of Fabio Quartararo’s misfortunes as he takes the win in MotoGP British GP.

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Marco Bezzecchi celebrates after winning the MotoGP British Grand Prix
Credits: MotoGP

Fabio Quartararo did something that many thought would be impossible at the start of the year: he scored a hat-trick of pole positions riding the Factory Yamaha bike. However, he is yet to convert it into a victory. Despite starting 6 races from the front (3 Grand Prix and 3 Sprints), he is yet to stand on the top step of the podium. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi made the most of Quartararo’s misfortune to take his first win of the season.

Read More: MotoGP 2025: Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone

Hattricks of Poles and a Brace of DNFs for Quartararo

When the season started, anyone, even Fabio for that matter, would not have expected to get 3 back-to-back pole positions on his Factory Yamaha, a bike that has not been the most competitive in the recent past. But to his surprise, and everyone else’s, Fabio put in a storming lap to go 3 tenths clear of the rest of the field and get his third Pole Position of the season. But, as fate would have it, he also scored a back-to-back DNF in the Grand Prix.

In Silverstone, it was looking good for the Frenchman, as he was leading the race ahead of Bezzecchi, but a ride height issue in the middle of the race forced the Yamaha rider to retire from the race. He tried half a lap to fix the issue, but to no success.

Bezzecchi Gets His First Win of The Season

Starting from 11th on the grid, not a lot of people would have had Marco Bezzecchi on their cards to win the British Grand Prix. But the Aprilia rider slowly and steadily picked off riders one by one to climb up to second position, and when Quartararo’s misfortunes hit, Bezzecchi was at the perfect place to make the most of it and cross the finish line in first.

A season with lacklustre results for the Italian driver, this win would do him a world of good. Before this race, his best finish was 6th; now the win has shot him to 7th in the standings.

MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro's Search for a Win Continues
Marco Bezzecchi wins the British GP. Credits: MotoGP

Another Weekend of Struggle for the Factory Ducati

Riding on a wave of success at the start of the season, the Factory Ducatis have been struggling of late. Marc Marquez is no longer the dominating force, as he has lost out on Pole Position in the last 3 races, and in the most recent one, he wasn’t even on the front row. Marquez has still managed to salvage the Sprint races, winning every single one of them this year except the one on British GP Saturday, where he finished second to his brother Alex Marquez. Meanwhile Francesco Bagnaia crashed out of the race after struggling throughout and dropping down the order before he went down.

Marquez struggled throughout this weekend, this has been a circuit where he does not go well historically either. His qualifying run put him on the second row in P4, Sprint was better as he managed to finish P2. The struggle paused for 2 laps at the start of the main race, where he took the lead of the race, before eventually crashing out of the race. A red flag due the another incident further meant the race would be restarted, but even then Marquez could only manage P3, after he dropped down the order outside the Top 10, then made a recovery ride to finish on the podium.

Back-to-Back Grand Prix Podiums for Zarco and Honda

Johann Zarco has been having a very underrated season this year. The last 2 races specifically, the French rider has managed to put the Honda on the top step of the podium in Le Mans and in second place in Silverstone. Throughout this season, Zarco has only been out of the points in one race. He currently sits fifth in the Riders’ standings with 97 points; for comparison, the next Honda rider is Luca Marini on 38 points in 13th.

MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro's Search for a Win Continues
Johann Zarco celebrates after finishing P2 in the British GP. Credits: MotoGP

Championship Standings

As things stand, the Marquez brothers still sit at the top of the standings with Marc ahead of Alex by 24 points.

Up Next for MotoGP

After a small break, MotoGP will now head to Aragon for Round 8 of the world championship from 6-8 June.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/XInstagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone

Marc Marquez goes in with the largest championship lead so far this season at a track which has historically been a beacon of unpredictability.

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MotoGP at Silverstone in 2024
Credits: MotoGP

The British GP, held at Silverstone since its conception, has historically been one of the most unpredictable races. Just in the past 10 years, 10 different riders have won the race at Silverstone. And the unpredictable British weather plays a large part in this. Heading into one of the most dramatic tracks on the calendar, the riders brace for unpredictable challenges, and unexpected contenders may emerge. Join us as we go over everything you need to know before the lights go off in Britain.

Read More: Johann Zarco takes the home race victory at Le Mans

Marc Márquez seeks to secure sophomore success at Silverstone

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Marc racing at Silverstone last year. Credit: motogp.com

At this point, the preview section regarding Marc is gradually becoming a parody of itself. Marc is undoubtedly the best rider on the grid currently, and he is in his best form. It is undeniable that he will perform well.

However, Silverstone has not been Marc’s strongest suit. He has only managed to win one race here, all the way back in 2014. The closest he has gotten since is getting second place in 2019 in one of the closest races in MotoGP history, where he was barely edged out by Alex Rins on the final turn.

Now, Marc seeks to secure a second victory at this classic circuit. And as long as he manages to keep his motorcycle upright, there is no one who can prevent him. Or is there?

The Silverstone Dark Horses

Silverstone is used to throwing curveballs – once in a blue moon, an incredibly unexpected rider steps up out of nowhere and manages to clench the victory.

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Enea Bastianini during the 2024 British GP. Credit: cyclenews.com

Just last year, as the title fight between Martin and Bagnaia was heating up, Enea Bastianini somehow swooped in and secured his first and only win of the 2024 season. However, now that Bastianini has moved to KTM, who are admittedly trying their best to improve, the chances that Enea could be a contender for the British GP are slim.

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Aleix Espargaro during the 2023 British GP. Credit : motogp.com

Similarly, in 2023, the British GP was won by none other than Aleix Espargaro. In fact, Aleix was one of only two non-Ducati riders to win that season, the other being Alex Rins. Aleix will be making an appearance in 2025 as a wildcard on the Honda. Even though Zarco managed to take the French GP for Honda, Zarco’s victory was by virtue of strategy rather than machinery or skill. Hence, Espargaro being a serious contender for the victory is also a pipe dream, but it is more realistic than Bastianini.

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Rins crossed the finish line barely ahead of Marc. Credit : motorsportmagazine.com

And then we have Alex Rins. The winner of the 2019 British GP. Arguably, the most exciting race in the past decade. Rins, in a display of pure skill, was battling with Márquez up until the very last corner of the very last lap, taking the chequered flag with a lead of mere 0.013 seconds.

However, since then, a lot has changed for Rins. Multiple crashes and injuries, plus moves to inferior teams and unreliable machinery, have left him in a sticky predicament. While he has the skill, he lacks the support from his team or from his own injured body. While Rins has managed to win in a glorious manner in the past, it is nigh impossible that he stands a chance this year.

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Quartararo during the 2021 British GP. Credit : eneos.us

Finally, we have Fabio Quartararo. The 2020 world champion has had his ups and downs over the past few years, but he finally appears to have found his groove, with back-to-back pole positions. Having already won at Silverstone in 2021, all El Diablo has to do is find a way to convert his qualifying speed into race pace, and he could be a very serious contender.

Bagnaia confesses troubles with Ducati machinery

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Bagnaia’s tumble at the French GP sprint. Credit: the-race.com

The 2025 season has been a tragedy so far for two-time world champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia. He is currently trailing 51 points behind the championship leader in third place. After his sudden drop in pace last weekend, Pecco has finally admitted to having troubles with the front end of the bike, quote “It’s true I’ve been struggling with this bike […]”

This should be an early warning to Ducati not to make the same mistakes as those who came before them. Back in the days of Honda/Márquez dominance, Honda was incredibly determined to build the best motorcycle for Márquez. However, their focus on catering to one star rider resulted in them making a motorcycle that could not be operated by anyone besides Márquez. Ultimately, this led to Honda’s downfall. Ducati must take feedback from all their riders, championship leaders or not, to prevent suffering the same fate.

Championship Standings

Following are the championship standings going into the British GP :

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Top 10 Rider standings. Credit : @MotoGP on X

Schedule and Where to watch

All MotoGP sessions can be watched in India on Fancode (digital) or on Eurosport (TV broadcast).

Following is the complete schedule of the MotoGP race weekend in IST:

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone

Read more posts on MotoGP here.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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MotoGP 2025 : Johann Zarco takes the home race victory at Le Mans

Both the Frenchmen have a magnificent home race, with Quartararo taking pole for second time in a row, and Zarco taking the big victory in MotoGP.

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Johann Zarco celebrates after winnning the MotoGP French Grand Prix at Le Mans

The French GP, held at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, was a glorious flag-to-flag spectacle for anyone to behold. Honda and Yamaha both stepped up their game to support two of their riders in their home race. Meanwhile, the ever-dominant Marc Márquez sets new records, extending his unbroken sprint winning streak. Join us as we review, session by session, the spectacle of the French GP.

Read more: Title fight heats up as the paddock heads to Le Mans

Weather Causes Chaos before Race Start

The rainy weather of Le Mans caused chaos in the GP before it even started. On the Warm Up Lap, most riders set off on slick tires on a wet track. Evidently this was a bad choice as almost everyone ran wide going into the first chicane, and Fabio Quartararo almost crashed out 3/4ths of the way into the lap.

The race got white flagged, and every single rider decided to go to the pit lane to swap bikes. Now, because too many riders were to start from the pit lane, the race got red-flagged as a whole and got delayed.

Furthermore, after the race restart, some riders, including the Márquez brothers, decided to pit again after the second warmup to swap back to slicks. Because the pit lane was closed, these riders were imposed with a double-long lap penalty.

Marc Márquez Regains his Championship Lead

MotoGP 2025 : Johann Zarco takes the home race victory at Le Mans
Marc serving one of his two long laps penalties during the Grand Prix. Credit: motogp.com

After Marc’s unfortunate crash in Jerez, he lost the championship lead to his younger brother Álex. However, going into France, Marc was determined to regain his championship lead, and he ultimately succeeded in this endeavour.

Having qualified in P2 just behind Quartararo, Marc’s start to the sprint was rather uneventful. However, within just a couple of laps, he engaged in an aggressive back-and-forth with race leader Quartararo and managed to snatch the lead from him. He proceeded to cruise to victory in typical Marc Márquez fashion. With this sprint win, Marc has set a new record by winning six consecutive sprint races.

During the Grand Prix, however, things went a little differently for Marc. Because he went into the pit lane after the race restart, he was imposed with a double long lap penalty. Furthermore, Marc came into the pits for a third time to switch bikes again. Amidst this chaos, he lost a lot of positions, going down all the way to P7 at one point. He did make a recovery, amidst other riders also changing bikes or serving penalties, and ultimately finished the race in P2.

Fabio Quartararo’s Stellar Performance at Le Mans

MotoGP 2025 : Johann Zarco takes the home race victory at Le Mans
Quartararo’s custom livery for his home race. Credit : @YamahaMotoGP on X

The past couple of years have not been kind to Frenchman Fabio Quartararo. Complacency in development from Yamaha, along with a lack of support from his team, had placed Fabio as a mid-pack rider at best in the past few seasons. However, in these recent couple of races, Fabio has been making a recovery, from his pole position at Jerez, to finishing on the podium there. And he seems determined to keep pushing on.

At Le Mans, Fabio qualified in pole position, setting a time faster than the likes of Marc Márquez. During the sprint race, he had a stellar start and held his own. He did eventually get overtaken by Marc and a few others, and finished the race just short of a podium in P4.

During the Grand Prix, however, Fabio’s fortunes soured. Early on, his bike showed signs of instability, and in the midst of the early-to-mid race chaos, Fabio crashed out after a collision with Binder, ending his dreams of a victory on home soil.

Johann Zarco Knocks it Out of The Park

MotoGP 2025 : Johann Zarco takes the home race victory at Le Mans
Johann Zarco after winning the French GP. Credit: motogp.com

Zarco was heading into the French GP with big expectations. Being the best rider on a Honda currently, he was already in talks with the manufacturer, who was considering pulling him off the satellite LCR team and putting him on the factory team. And after his triumph, he has almost guaranteed himself that factory seat.

Zarco’s sprint was uneventful at best. He started from P11 and managed to claw his way up to P6. However, he really shone in the Grand Prix. Having made a better strategic decision on the tires as compared to the other riders, combined with not having to suffer a double long lap penalty, firmly placed Zarco in the lead, and he finished almost 20 seconds ahead of the runner-up Marc Márquez. With this victory, Zarco ends a 71-year drought, becoming the first French rider to win the French GP since 1954.

Rookie Aldeguer finally finds his element

MotoGP 2025 : Johann Zarco takes the home race victory at Le Mans
Aldeguer is celebrating his first podium. Credit: motogp.com

For the past few seasons in Moto2, Fermín Aldeguer was one of the most promising riders on the grid. That is why Ducati signed a contract with him at the beginning of the 2024 season. However, the move to the premier class has not been sunshine and rainbows for Aldeguer. For the first few races, he struggled to even make points.

However, Aldeguer had an awe-inspiring performance in Le Mans. He qualified in P4, just behind Quartararo and the Márquez brothers. During the sprint, he had a glorious battle with Quartararo for P3, which earned him his first sprint podium.

The Grand Prix was no different. Aldeguer held his own amidst the chaos, and he briefly managed to become the race leader for a lap. Ultimately, he finished the race in P3 after a glorious battle with Pedro Acosta, earning his first full race podium in the same weekend. Because of this, he overtook Ai Ogura as the best-performing rookie this season. Hopefully, we get to see similar performances from Aldeguer in the near future.

Highlights of the French GP

The following are some moments in the weekend that I consider particularly exciting :

  • Marc vs Quartararo battle for the lead in the sprint
  • Fermin Aldegeur vs Quartararo battle for third in sprint
  • Race start chaos in the Grand Prix
  • Quartararo vs Marc battle for the lead in the Grand Prix
  • Aldeguer vs Acosta battle for P3 in Grand Prix

Championship Standings

MotoGP 2025 : Johann Zarco takes the home race victory at Le Mans
Top 10 Rider standings. Credit : @MotoGP on X

Read more posts on MotoGP here.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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