BURIRAM (THAILAND) (ITALPRESS) – The year in Gresini served him as an apprenticeship, now Marc Marquez feels perfectly at ease on the Ducati and from Buriram he sends a clear message: for the world title it will be necessary to reckon with the Cabroncito. Already the author of the best time yesterday, Marquez is the fastest on the official Ducati also on the second and final day of testing at the Thai circuit that in two weeks will inaugurate the 2025 World Championship: 1’28″855 the reference chrono, more than three tenths below yesterday’s and about a tenth and a half slower than the record signed in 2024 by his current teammate, Francesco Bagnaia, in the last Thai Grand Prix. The Italian ended the two-day test in fifth place, half a second behind the Spaniard. “The most important thing is to have completed all the very long list of tests we had at the beginning of these five days of testing,” commented Marquez, “I’m happy, I have the confidence I wanted on the bike and we worked a lot and well with the team. I also did a long run simulation and we are competitive even after 23 laps done in the heat of three in the afternoon.”
Bagnaia, whom Marquez pointed to as the main rival for the title, admits that the nine-time world champion is ahead of him at the moment but can say he is happy. “The balance is positive, we are convinced of our decisions at the technical level and we are ready for the race. At the end I tried the time attack again, it was not perfect, but it’s okay. I perfected the setup for the GP, I’m looking forward to it, we are competitive and the team worked really well.” And in terms of development, from the box of the pair in red, team manager Davide Tardozzi said that in the first round of the season the GP25s will be updated only in electronics and suspension. Engine, chassis and aerodynamics will be those of 2024. But it’s not only the two factory Ducatis that are doing well since the second best time was signed by Alex Marquez with the Desmosedici of the Gresini team, 179 thousandths from his brother (“we were fast and consistent in our times even if the race simulation was not up to the mark”) while Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) placed seventh. “We had a positive race simulation that allowed us to collect some interesting data. The performance was promising from the start, I am happy with what we are doing, I feel ready for the start of the season.”
Smiles at home Aprilia where, waiting for the return of Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi takes the third time in the combined: no one on an RS-GP had ever lapped in 1’29″060 as he did. He also convinced in the sprint simulation: not bad, given that he switched to the Noale brand very recently. “In these two days of testing I have understood many things about how to make the RS-GP25 work at its best: we have grown a lot, the bike is competitive and the 2025 engine goes very well everywhere,” he assures. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) closed in Bezzecchi’s wake, while teammate Brad Binder did not go beyond the twelfth time. In the top ten (ninth tally) Maverick Vinales (Red Bull KTM Tech3), for whom the RC16 is all to be discovered. More opaque the other standard bearer of the French team, Enea Bastianini (15th). Honda placed Joan Mir in sixth, with a lap never so fast by an RC213V. And in the sprint simulation, he also lapped at the levels of some Aprilia and KTM riders. Step back from Sepang for Yamaha. “We are still far from the others,” confesses Fabio Quartararo, eighth at 731 thousandths from Marquez and the best of the Japanese manufacturer’s riders.
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
Marc Marquez repeats, is the fastest in Buriram test
