Six-time world champion Marc Marquez made a stunning start to his Ducati career, claiming victory in the sprint race at the season-opening Thai MotoGP on Saturday.
The Spanish rider, making his debut with the factory Ducati team, started from pole position ahead of his younger brother, Alex Marquez, and never looked back, securing a commanding win in the 13-lap race at Buriram.
Younger brother Alex finished second, while Marquez’s Ducati team-mate and two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia completed the podium in third place. Japanese rookie Ai Ogura impressed on his MotoGP debut, finishing fourth.
The grand prix, the first of 22 races this season, takes place on Sunday, with Marc Marquez the clear favourite from pole position.
“It was a perfect Saturday,” said the 32-year-old, celebrating only the second sprint win of his career.
“The feeling with the bike is great. I’m happy to start my new journey with Ducati this way.
“Let’s see if we can at least be on the podium tomorrow, but if we can, we’ll fight for victory.”
Marquez has been in blistering form all week, topping the opening practice session on Friday before being narrowly beaten by his brother Alex in the afternoon session.
After a strong pre-season with Ducati, having made the switch from Honda, Marquez is widely tipped to challenge for his first world title since 2019.
The partnership of Marquez and Bagnaia has been described as a dream team, though some pundits have warned that the pairing of two aggressive, high-profile riders could lead to potential friction over the course of the season.
The start of the new MotoGP season has been overshadowed by the absence of reigning world champion Jorge Martin.
The Spaniard suffered fractures to his right hand and left foot following a heavy crash during pre-season testing in Malaysia. His misfortune continued when Aprilia announced this week that Martin had sustained another injury during training, requiring further surgery.
As a result, Aprilia has confirmed that Martin will miss both the Buriram race and the following round in Argentina in mid-March.
