The Buriram International Circuit hosted the first MotoGP race of the 2025 season. Between extreme temperatures and new bikes to get used to, how did the two Maralpins riders perform?
Following the pre-season tests two weeks ago, Thailand once again saw the bikes on the track. The season’s first race witnessed Marc Marquez clinch his first victory with Ducati, in a season expected to be tighter than ever. For Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco, this Grand Prix was surprising, both negatively and positively.
Love stories end badly
Fabio Quartararo‘s weekend took an unexpected turn during this race. Yet, it started very well with a third place in free practice 1. He even managed to qualify directly into Q2 with a solid P8 in practice. He remained in the top 10 in free practice 2 and qualified at that position. The goal for this race was announced by the rider himself: “I think finishing in the top six on a circuit like this would be a great result.” With a bike that seems to suit him better than last year, many fans had high hopes.
As for the sprint race, the Nice native got a good start, gaining two positions. He continued his comeback by overtaking Brad Binder in the first corners. Jack Miller fell on the sixth lap, giving Fabio Quartararo an additional position. However, in the following lap, Pedro Acosta overtook him. The Frenchman did not give up and fought back, engaging in a battle. Unfortunately, he took a turn a bit wide, allowing his competitor to pass him again. Nonetheless, he finished in a commendable seventh place.
The main race, however, was very complicated. He had a rather mediocre start, losing two positions. It was then a downfall in the standings for the Nice native. He went too wide and was overtaken by many riders, unable to recover throughout the race. Amidst this misfortune, Pedro Acosta and Jack Miller crashed, helping him move up. He managed an overtake to secure the fifteenth place and a small point in the standings. Fabio Quartararo explained these events as a result of a lack of grip and a problem with his tires: “We are looking into what happened in the first laps […] we really struggled with the rear tire. We expected it with the front tire, but we didn’t think the rear would be this challenging.”
Almost all in the top 10
Johann Zarco, on the other hand, had a great weekend with his LCR Honda. He started slowly with an eleventh place in free practice 1. He managed to slide into tenth place in practice, which also secured him direct entry into Q2. This was the first time since Malaysia 2023 that both French riders went directly to Q2. He continued his momentum by recording the seventh-best time in free practice 2. The only negative point of his weekend might have been his qualification, as he only placed twelfth on the grid.
As for the sprint race, he managed to maintain his starting position. In the first laps, he overtook Lucas Marini and then Raúl Fernández for the tenth place. Jack Miller crashed in the sixth lap, giving the Cannes native an additional place. In the following lap, Joan Mir overtook Johann Zarco. With five laps remaining, a battle erupted between Fabio DiGianantonio, Johann Zarco, and Joan Mir. Johann Zarco held on to the tenth place, finishing the sprint in that position.
He also had an average start in the main race, losing two positions but quickly regained them. With Pedro Acosta crashing in the third lap and Joan Mir in the sixteenth, Johann Zarco found himself in P9. He overtook Raúl Fernández and then Jack Miller in the final laps. He finished seventh in this first race of the season. A result that delighted the Cannes rider: “The first ten laps were difficult, I was a bit struggling. But I told myself, ‘be patient, they’ll lose some of their cornering speed, and that’s when you’ll take advantage’ […] I’m very happy.”
