MotoGP's leading riders gather in Thailand for the 2025 season opener

Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia joined the official ThaiGP press conference in front of international motorsport media. Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir prepared to lead the challenge for the Japanese manufacturers, while Somkiat Chantra looked forward to his first premier-class race in front of home fans.

Thursday, 27 February 2025, was a preparation day for PT Grand Prix of Thailand, the MotoGP season opener. Riders and teams completed their setup work and joined the pre-season press conference as international attention turned to race weekend.

Riders arrived from the morning to inspect Chang International Circuit before the season's first race weekend, when every team would debut its new bike in competition. In the afternoon, the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 fields gathered for their official 2025 group photographs.

The weekend’s leading contenders included Ducati Lenovo Team’s Marc Marquez, an eight-time world champion across all classes, and team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, a three-time world champion across all classes. Both were considered leading candidates for that year’s title.

Other manufacturers also showed signs of progress. Monster Energy Yamaha's 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo had a positive test, while Honda HRC Castrol's 2020 champion Joan Mir showed promise on the new bike.

Aprilia Racing's Marco Bezzecchi showed strong Buriram test pace, while his teammate and reigning champion Jorge Martin was forced to miss the season opener through injury. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Pedro Acosta also made encouraging progress with his team.

The three premier-class rookies were another major talking point. Idemitsu Honda LCR's Somkiat Chantra became the first Thai MotoGP rider, making his debut in front of home fans. He joined Gresini Racing's Fermin Aldeguer and Trackhouse Racing's Ai Ogura in the rookie line-up.

Somkiat Chantra said he was excited to race at home in MotoGP for the first time and hoped to score his first points in front of Thai fans. He was looking forward to Friday practice to see how his preparation translated into a race weekend.

Fabio Quartararo said Yamaha's pre-season testing had been encouraging, but racing would provide a clearer measure of its competitiveness. He looked forward to the new season and believed the team was starting from a stronger position.

Practice for PT Grand Prix of Thailand 2025 began on Friday, 28 February, followed by qualifying and the Sprint on Saturday, 1 March. The Grand Prix took place on Sunday, 2 March, with True4U live coverage from 15:00 and viewing also available through TrueVisions Now.