MotoGP Thai Test Rider Reflections
Marco Bezzecchi – P1 1m28.668
“I can’t complain, was a good preseason of course, in Sepang we started working and went a bit more far, we had to understand many things, try many things, the biggest items were in Sepang. Here we had still many items to try as well, but working a bit more on the details, and it’s also a track where we struggle a bit less than Sepang. So it’s only a test as you know, when we’re testing, the track condition becomes amazing, super black, full of rubber, very grippy always, but I had fun. Let’s keep ourselves super focused to start the weekend.
“It’s very difficult to make a clear comparison right now, not because we don’t have time to ride, but because we’ve only ridden two tracsks, with different kinds of corners of course, but not like all the others – twenty – we need a bit more time to understand this. I have to say I’m happy with the job the guys from Aprilia did this weekend, they’ve been amazing, it will be better, but right now it’s a bit early to say it.
“The lap time doesn’t really matter a lot here, when the track is super good, it’s a bit easier, not easy – never, but the condition is good, and lets you go really quick by pace. I’m happy anyway, it’s good to go fast, it’s better than to go slow, but at the end testing is testing, the race weekend is another story, I’m happy, motivated, hoping to start better compared to next year.
“Jorge was fast in a couple of days as well, which means the bike is working quite well, but as I said it’s always a bit early after testing, we have a lot of data to analyse, we need to understand what can help us even more. Hopefully it can be good for the race weekend. My first target is to start better than 2025, because the first half of the season was too up and down, I would like to be more consistent, and I’m hoping to change my target during the season.”
Marc Márquez – P3 +0.168
“I finished riding a little earlier than expected due to the crash, but the feeling is still positive. I was doing the long run, the last scheduled effort of the day, but on the seventh lap I crashed at Turn 3. Yesterday I had a stomach illness, today I recovered a bit, but I’m very tired and wasn’t fully focused. I entered the corner too fast and lost the front. It’s a shame, it was my mistake, but I’m relaxed. We’ve chosen the right aerodynamic package, we’re competitive in time attacks and also in race pace. Now we’ll make the most of these three days to recover energy for next week’s race.”
Francesco Bagnaia – P4 +0.215
“We worked really well, we managed to complete the entire program, testing the new parts, and I’m satisfied with the base of the bike for the season. In terms of decisions, all the Ducati riders went in the same direction on the technical package, and that’s a good thing. We did a race simulation; it wasn’t perfect; I had a small problem, but it was better today than during the weekend. This Thai test was a crucial one, at least for me, and I’m very positive.”
Alex Marquez – P5 +0.293
“Aside from the crash, which happened during the race simulation, it was a positive test. Yesterday we had the fastest time, today we were very close to the top. We’re not at 10/10 yet, but compared to yesterday we’ve already made a big step forward in confidence with the bike. Compared to last year, I feel more ready to fight for important results, but this year there will be many riders at top level and it will be a great challenge. I don’t feel pressure, I feel confidence and I can’t wait to start.”
Pedro Acosta – P6 +0.353
“Quite happy with the time attacks that I made this morning, quite happy with the position because we stayed in the top five which normally is our target, and not far from 1st. In the afternoon I was working to make my race simulation, it was quite OK. I tested everything I have. Now it’s time to work on things for the race, on long distance, but I’m quite happy. Looks promising.”
Franco Morbidelli – P7 +0.403
“It was a positive pre-season: we worked very well during these five days of testing; we cleared out many things. In this Buriram test, we understood few more things about the new bike, that is a bit smoother, quicker and faster on the straight, it gives a better comfort. We were able to improve the feeling step by step throughout the days. On this track, I was four tenths quicker than last year, that is positive. For the start of the season, we can be competitive, we had a good speed, even though the rivals were fast. But we are there.”
Fabio Di Giannantonio – P9 +0.505
“Long testing days! And this one in Buriram was the hardest of my life because I tried so many things. But I am very happy about that, because we worked very well with the team, we could do everything we had in mind and in our work plan. In terms of speed, it wasn’t our best test because we tried so many things and it was difficult to find the perfect lap and rhythm. But I am happy with the base setup for the first race, it seems that the final one is the same as Sepang, and it’s a huge step. We arrive to the first race with a lot of clear ideas, feeling confident and great with the team. I’m fully confident that we can do a good job with the package we have. We are ready for the season!”
Joan Mir – P10 +0.628
“We have had a pre-season with a lot of potential, but of course you’re always wanting more as a rider. This track for us, but especially me, has been more difficult than the last few circuits. The grip wasn’t quite there for us, and it was there for some other guys, so we spent a lot of the test playing with the geometry of the bike. There are a couple of options with the direction of the bike to try and make ourselves more competitive. We have a few days for everyone to find a couple more solutions before we go racing, so let’s make the most of it and be competitive when the racing starts.”
Brad Binder – P12 +0.724
“I think we arrived at a really good starting point. We threw a lot of parts at the bike. I feel like we have room to improve for the longer race distance but doing the simulation today allowed us to focus on key changes, and we were able to get to the end of the tire, which is better than last year. We tried a major switch, and it was so different. It allowed me to go a second faster than this morning. Happy with that and we’re really looking forward to exploring more in FP1 on Friday. I’m certain this year is going to be better than 2025.”
Luca Marini – P13 +0.783
“The bike has improved a lot with the engine, the aero and the braking phase and we have to be pleased with this. Everyone has worked hard over the winter and these two tests and I know they will keep working hard throughout the year. We need to stay focused on the things we are missing to go faster, just a little more time to improve these parts. I am looking forward to the race to see where everyone really is, Qualifying will be very important in this first race so we need to prepare well for it. I think our potential is easily in the top seven, maybe even more if we can find a few things with the bike in these next few days.”
Maverick Viñales – P14 +0.901
“It was a busy test because we needed to confirm many items and make sure we have the right direction. On the second day we concentrated a lot on the race simulations and recovered important information for both the Sprint and the full race distance. We weren’t able to put it all together for Time Attack today, so I couldn’t put in a representative lap, but the Sprint simulation felt quite good and I was consistent. For the longer distance we still need to improve the balance of the bike and tyre management, but we now have a clear direction. Physically I feel strong — I completed a full race distance and a Sprint run without any issues, so that’s a big positive heading into the first weekend.”
Johann Zarco – P15 +0.940
“We have a much clearer path now. From the start of the test, the bike showed great potential, although I initially struggled to ride smoothly and feel comfortable. Today we found some solutions that helped me, and it feels great to finish like this. I can’t wait to start the Grand Prix. We still have a few days to prepare and be ready, because with this bike we can achieve strong results this year. We’ll see!”
Jack Miller – P16 +1.004
“Today was busy and tough — I‘ll definitely sleep well tonight. We completed two long runs of around 20 laps each, and that‘s part of the process when you‘re working with a new motorcycle, trying to understand it and develop it. We know there are clear areas we need to improve, but overall I feel good on the bike and I can feel it getting better step by step. That‘s encouraging, and I‘m looking forward to going racing. We‘re aware that this track is a challenging one for us, especially with the long straights, but we have a clear plan for the first updates and everyone is pushing hard. I‘m pushing the guys, and at the same time trying to give them the most precise feedback possible to shorten the development process. Handling-wise I feel comfortable, and I firmly believe the engineers are doing everything they can. Considering this bike was basically built six months ago, being around a second off on a single lap shows we‘re moving in the right direction.”
Fabio Quartararo – P17 +1.033
“We are in the process of figuring out how the new bike works compared to the previous one. We need a bit more time. Hopefully, we will make more steps in the coming months. In terms of pace, we still need to improve. We will work hard on this. My finger is not fully healed yet at the moment, but I will be fine for the first race.”
Enea Bastianini – P18 +1.060
“To be honest, we have to take some positives and some negatives from this test, but we still need to improve in several areas. We tried different set-ups over the two days to understand where we are losing time, and the new chassis at the end of the test was a good solution for me. I have more references compared to last year, which helps, but we need to stay focused and analyse everything carefully before the race. I will be working hard over the next few days and the goal now is to put everything together next weekend.”
Diogo Moreira – P19 +1.252
“I’m really happy with how the test went. We’ve made significant progress since yesterday and are almost ready to kick off the season! There’s still work to be done, but we’re much closer now. The team and I have done a great job together, and I want to thank them for their support, they give me a lot of confidence, and we have great communication. In terms of pace, we still have room to improve, and I’m excited to get started at the Grand Prix next week.”
Alex Rins – P20 +1.454
“The test and the preseason have been completed. We need to keep working. I tried to give my best feedback to the engineers to improve the bike. Physically, I’m feeling super strong. I did a really good preseason in terms of the gym, so I’m ready for the season.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu – P21 +2.104
“Today my focus was on race simulation work and also on riding behind Jack. I think I understood much more about the bike and I‘m starting to understand these tyres better as well. The more I ride, the more comfortable I feel. I know I still have a lot to improve, also mentally. When I was riding behind Jack and saw how much he leaned on the front tyre, I was sure he was going to crash. But then I saw how smoothly he carried the corner, and I realised it‘s my mind that needs to adapt and trust these tyres more. I was able to do six or seven laps on the same set of tyres with consistent lap times, which is positive. I‘m looking forward to continuing this learning process.”
Michele Pirro – P22 +3.109
“Obviously, I’m sorry to be here as a replacement for an injured rider. That said, we worked hard over these two days; the track is new to me and I didn’t have the chance to push in a time attack. In any case, I’m very happy to be back with Team Gresini after so many years. We’ll work throughout the weekend to help Ducati and Team Gresini.”
Team Managers
Aki Ajo – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager
“With the first grand prix of the season happening here in Buriram it was nice to test again and finalize things at this circuit. A lot of days in hot conditions and a lot of information but we have made some steps both for performance and working methods. We worked to better use the tires for circuits like these and, in the second part of last season especially, more stopping potential of the bike: the usual areas where riders are looking for more confidence and how they can use the bike. After a lot of work in the winter it can be difficult to know exactly where we are, and we’ve had many new items for aerodynamics and the chassis but the real check comes next week at the first race and then the next measuring point will be after the first Grands Prix. We are improving daily and that’s the best we can do.”
Sebastian Risse – KTM Technical Director MotoGP
“After testing some big items in Sepang we were looking forward to confirming them here and then working on tuning and race pace as well as detailing the race set-up. We were able to stick to this plan without any big surprises. We know from last year that this track is very challenging for tire management and it looks like we have learned a lot compared to 2025 and have made good progress. We had highlights with different riders, and now we have one more week to put together what we found out here and be well aligned between the guys. We’re ready to race. There has been enough testing and we’re really looking forward to the race weekend. Our strategy was to work, work, work during the wintertime and now is the moment to show it.”
Nicolas Goyon – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Mananger
“The Buriram test marks the end of an intensive winter preparation for us. We know that this is a circuit that doesn’t necessarily suit our bike that well, but we used the time on track efficiently to make positive steps forward. Over these two days we confirmed the configurations for both riders — Maverick completed a full race simulation and Sprint run with different set-ups, which gave us a clear understanding of the direction to take. On Enea’s side, he used the time to evaluate several combinations and found a better package towards the end of the test. The outright positions are not the full picture of the work completed, but the important thing is that we now have a lot of data we can analyse and make final changes to the bike before heading into the first race. Job done for the winter — now the championship begins.”
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“These last two days have been a bit tougher than the previous test days in Sepang, but we got some good information. We are still at the beginning of this new project, and ups and downs are a part of the process. Up to this test, we had spent all our time on evaluating components. Here, we started working on the set-ups for the first time. We discovered some limits, but also some opportunities. The riders all have their own way of describing things, but they are all giving the same feedback – this is very important for us. This gives us a clear direction to work towards, and we believe we will be able to gradually improve the performance throughout the season.”
Gino Borsoi – Prima Pramac Yamaha Team Director
“All in all, it was an interesting day and we‘re particularly pleased for Jack, who set a good time. We tried many different solutions and completed several long runs, and the race pace is encouraging. We know we are still missing something, but we‘re satisfied with the level we‘ve reached with the package we currently have. We‘ll use the race weekend to continue improving the set-up. We‘ve closed the gap to the front group, and what makes me happiest is that Jack gave us very positive feedback about the bike‘s behaviour. As for Toprak, we were able to narrow down our working direction and better understand what works and what doesn‘t. Even though many people expect a big result from him straight away, we know he needs time to adapt and learn, and we also need to fully understand his requirements. At the end of the day, I saw him optimistic.”
Thai MotoGP Test Combined Times
 |
|||
|
Pos |
Rider |
Bike |
Time/Gap |
|
1 |
M. Bezzecchi |
Apr |
1m28.668 |
|
2 |
A. Ogura |
Apr |
+0.097 |
|
3 |
M. Marquez |
Duc |
+0.168 |
|
4 |
F. Bagnaia |
Duc |
+0.215 |
|
5 |
A. Marquez |
Duc |
+0.293 |
|
6 |
P. Acosta |
KTM |
+0.353 |
|
7 |
F. Morbidelli |
Duc |
+0.403 |
|
8 |
J. Martin |
Apr |
+0.499 |
|
9 |
F. Di Giannantonio |
Duc |
+0.505 |
|
10 |
J. Mir |
Hon |
+0.628 |
|
11 |
R. Fernandez |
Apr |
+0.634 |
|
12 |
B. Binder |
KTM |
+0.724 |
|
13 |
L. Marini |
Hon |
+0.783 |
|
14 |
M. Viñales |
KTM |
+0.901 |
|
15 |
J. Zarco |
Hon |
+0.940 |
|
16 |
J. Miller |
Yam |
+1.004 |
|
17 |
F. Quartararo |
Yam |
+1.033 |
|
18 |
E. Bastianini |
KTM |
+1.060 |
|
19 |
D. Moreira |
Hon |
+1.252 |
|
20 |
A. Rins |
Yam |
+1.454 |
|
21 |
T. Razgatlioglu |
Yam |
+2.104 |
|
22 |
M. Pirro |
Duc |
+3.109 |
Thailand MotoGP Test Top Speeds (Weekend)
|
|
|||
|
Pos |
Rider | Bike | Speed |
|
1 |
F. Bagnaia |
Duc |
342.8 |
|
2 |
M. Bezzecchi |
Apr |
341.7 |
|
3 |
J. Mir |
Hon |
340.6 |
|
4 |
M. Marquez |
Duc |
339.6 |
|
5 |
F. Di Giannantonio |
Duc |
339.6 |
|
6 |
A. Ogura |
Apr |
339.6 |
|
7 |
E. Bastianini |
KTM |
339.6 |
|
8 |
J. Martin |
Apr |
338.5 |
|
9 |
A. Marquez |
Duc |
338.5 |
|
10 |
F. Morbidelli |
Duc |
338.5 |
|
11 |
L. Marini |
Hon |
337.5 |
|
12 |
P. Acosta |
KTM |
337.5 |
|
13 |
J. Zarco |
Hon |
337.5 |
|
14 |
F. Quartararo |
Yam |
336.4 |
|
15 |
D. Moreira |
Hon |
336.4 |
|
16 |
A. Rins |
Yam |
336.4 |
|
17 |
B. Binder |
KTM |
335.4 |
|
18 |
M. Viñales |
KTM |
335.4 |
|
19 |
R. Fernandez |
Apr |
334.3 |
|
20 |
J. Miller |
Yam |
332.3 |
|
21 |
M. Pirro |
Duc |
332.3 |
|
22 |
T. Razgatlioglu |
Yam |
333.3 |