The first day of the Buriram Test saw Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) make a strong statement, topping the timesheets by an impressive 0.465 seconds with a lap of 1:29.184. This marks the first time Marquez has been P1 on a test day since Jerez 2020, underlining his determination to make a strong comeback in the 2025 season.
Following Marquez were two more Ducatis, with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) taking second and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) securing third. The Italian manufacturer continued to work on their engine choice for 2025, a crucial decision as it will be frozen for 2026 as well. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), the reigning champion, finished eighth on Day 1, while rookie Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Racing MotoGP) took 14th, just ahead of fellow debutant Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team).
Aprilia had a promising day, with Marco Bezzecchi putting his Aprilia Racing machine in fourth overall, a significant improvement from the Sepang Test. Bezzecchi shared the box with test rider Lorenzo Savadori, as the team continues to develop their package in the absence of reigning champion Jorge Martin. Raul Fernandez, Ogura’s teammate at Trackhouse MotoGP Team, returned to action after being declared fit and managed to complete a fair number of laps, posting times in the 1:30s despite being on the road to recovery.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta led the way for the Austrian manufacturer, finishing fifth overall and dipping into the 1:29s. His Sprint simulation was particularly impressive, with an average laptime around four tenths quicker than teammate Brad Binder’s performance in the 2024 GP. Binder ended the day ninth, just missing out on the 1:29 club. At Red Bull KTM Tech3, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales continued their adaptation process, finishing 16th and 18th, respectively.
Bastianini reflected on the day, saying, “At the start of the day, we weren’t going in the right direction so I was not feeling very well during the whole morning, but we did a complete reset to try, and rethink which directions to take to be more competitive, which we did. At the moment, I don’t feel very comfortable on the bike, I need to adapt my riding style to the machine, change a few things. I spent four years with the same brand, and I logically have habits. The reset is going to take a bit of time, but the KTM bike has good potential, and I want to give my 100% to reach the maximum we can.”
Viñales shared his thoughts, stating, “We continued to do many laps to keep learning the bike, it is never easy to adapt to a new bike, but we are working hard. The KTM is behaving very differently to what I was used to in the past, so the cure is laps and time. I think that we improved from Sepang, and I am sure that tomorrow will be better, we are progressing day after day. It might take us two or three races to be competitive, but I am confident that we will be there soon, as we continue working and learning.”
Yamaha’s top performer on Day 1 was Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) in 10th, while factory riders Alex Rins and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) finished 12th and 13th, respectively. The team will be looking to make further improvements on Day 2.
Honda had a positive showing on the timesheets, with Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) taking sixth and Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) seventh, both breaking into the 1:29 bracket. The times were faster than Honda had ever been at the Buriram circuit before, indicating the progress made by the Japanese manufacturer. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) finished 11th, while rookie Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda LCR) continued to make steady improvements further down the order.
As the final day of testing approaches, all eyes will be on the teams and riders to see if they can respond to Marc Marquez’s dominant performance on Day 1. With crucial development work still ongoing and the season opener just weeks away, the Buriram Test promises to provide valuable insights into the competitive order for the 2025 MotoGP season.
