Marc Marquez maintained top spot on Day 2 of MotoGP Buriram Test from Alex Marquez, as deal with Barcelona extended.
Top on Day 1 and top on Day 2, that’s a clean sweep for Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) in the Buriram Test. His 1:28.855 is the only lap in that bracket from the event, although it’s still just shy of now-teammate Francesco Bagnaia’s 1:28.700 in the GP here last year. Bagnaia was fifth at this event.
DUCATI DECISIONS
Davide Tardozzi also confirmed that the only 2025 parts to be on the bike for Round 1 are electronics and suspension updates… meaning they’ve decided to stay with engine, chassis and aero from 2024, for now at least on most counts. Engine means they’re now locked in until the end of 2026. The GP24 that has proved almost too good to improve was in second Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) takes second at the test, another serious showing at a different track to his often more specialist venue of Sepang.
APRILIA IMPRESS
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) third fastest overall and impressing many up and down pitlane as he settles in at the Noale factory. His 1:29.060 is the quickest Aprilia have ever been at Buriram, and it’s the biggest improvement of all the factories who managed the same, namely Aprilia, KTM and Honda. Bezzecchi’s Sprint simulation was also pretty impressive. Test rider Lorenzo Savadori also added more laps and data, and so did Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) despite being on the road to recovery after his crash in Sepang. He was upbeat about the extra track time and ended the test in a solid P13.
KTM CLOSE?
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) likewise took his factory the fastest they’ve been, a 1:29.133 to be just off Bezzecchi in third. The #37 seems to have the early edge on new teammate Brad Binder for the moment, who was P12 but the South African says he also left time on the table during his time attacks. After a challenging pre-season in some ways, Maverick Viñales seems to be settling in at Red Bull KTM Tech3 and moved into the top ten with a key step. Teammate Enea Bastianini remains looking for a little more. As can often be the case given how they work, KTM seem to be one of the more unknown quantities heading into Round 1. Previously, that’s sometimes been a nasty surprise for their rivals.
HONDA HIT BACK
If Yamaha stole the headlines in Sepang, Honda did so in Buriram. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) took P6 with the fastest lap any Honda has ever done at Buriram. Even more pleasing than the time attack was a Sprint simulation that rivalled the likes of Aprilia and KTM. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) was P14 and Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) was P16, not putting in big time attacks on Thursday.
YAMAHA LOOKING FOR MORE
Sepang showed a big step forward for Yamaha, but just as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) said, Buriram may prove a little tougher and it did. Still, the Frenchman was P8 and unlike Honda, Yamaha didn’t test at the venue beforehand. Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) was next up for the Iwata factory in P10, whereas his teammate Miguel Oliveira was P19, just trailling Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in P17. We can likely expect more as the time attacks rolls out at the race weekend, however.
THE ROOKIES
Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) was the fastest rookie. A 1:29.6 defeats Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Racing MotoGP)’s 1:30, but the two have been duelling throughout pre-season. Home hero Somkiat Chantra continued to progress too, shaving more laptime off on his IDEMITSU Honda LCR machine.
Barcelona deal –
MotoGP will race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya until 2031. Winner of Best GP for the Championship-deciding Solidarity GP in 2024, located in one of the world’s true headliner cities and always packed with passionate fans of the most exciting sport on earth, it couldn’t be a better combination.
Since its debut in 1992, the track has become a giant on the calendar, holding 34 Grands Prix so far and becoming the circuit on the calendar with the third most consecutive seasons hosting MotoGP. MotoGP will now add even more chapters to our already storied history in Barcelona thanks to this new contract extension.
Miquel Sàmper, Minister of Business and Labour of the Government of Catalonia and president of the Circuit de Barcelona–Catalunya: “We celebrate this deal, which strengthens Catalonia’s connection to motor racing, particularly the Grand Prix, which has been held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 1992, over 30 years ago. Securing the MotoGP Grand Prix until 2031 is excellent news for Catalonia’s reputation as a host of premier international sporting events. In an increasingly internationalized and competitive environment, Catalonia’s ability to maintain a circuit in such a stable manner is an achievement to be proud of.”
Pau Relat, President of Fira de Barcelona and Fira Circuit: “The extension of the contract until 2031 is excellent news for the Circuit. We are very pleased to continue hosting the premier motorcycle racing championship, which has been linked to the Catalan track since 1992 and has an enormous worldwide impact. At Fira Circuit, we are committed to collaborating with the institutions, Dorna, and the entire MotoGP community to ensure that the Grand Prix consistently meets the highest standards and becomes, year after year, an unforgettable experience for fans and members of the championship.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports: “We’re very happy to pen this new agreement with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. They never fail to deliver a world-class fan weekend, we always have impressive attendance figures, and the track is so well connected to Barcelona, one of the world’s most culturally relevant cities. This is a winning combination for us and we’re excited to continue racing there.”
[The story is as per press release]
