Thai MotoGP Qualifying Results

Marquez scorches to pole position ahead of brother Alex and teammate Bagnaia, Miller the top non-Ducati in fourth

The scorching heat of Buriram set the stage for a dramatic qualifying session at the Thai MotoGP, as riders battled not only the stopwatch but also the sweltering conditions. Home hero Somkiat Chantra carried the hopes of the passionate Thai crowd as he took to the track, but all eyes were on reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, who faced the risk of getting stuck in Q1.

Q1: Bagnaia Keeps His Cool Under Pressure

With track temperatures reaching punishing levels, Bagnaia wasted no time, delivering a blistering 1:29.464 on his first flying lap – three-tenths faster than his best of the weekend. Despite struggling with fitness, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Digi) slotted into second. Bagnaia then lowered his time to a 1:29.180, giving himself a buffer of nearly half a second at the top.

Jack Miller then made a statement for Yamaha, briefly climbing into third, while Brad Binder showed promise for KTM. With just minutes remaining, Bagnaia opted to watch from the pit wall, gambling that his lap would be enough to make it through without using a fresh tyre. The drama heightened as Fermin Aldeguer, the highest-placed rookie, surged into third, missing out on a Q2 spot by a narrow margin.

Miller, however, wasn’t done. Pulling out a lap at the very last moment, he secured second place, just 0.006 seconds shy of Bagnaia’s time with the fastest Yamaha lap ever recorded at Buriram. Digi gave it one last shot but fell short, missing out by a mere half a tenth—a creditable effort considering his recent surgery just 17 days ago.

Q2: A Marquez Brothers Duel

As the final shootout began, Miller tucked in behind Marc Marquez for a valuable tow. Honda had something to cheer about with two of their riders making it directly into Q2 for the first time in a long while. However, Marc’s initial attempt was spoiled by a small mistake—or perhaps a tactical move to shake his followers.

Bagnaia set the early benchmark with a low 1:29, but both Marquez brothers responded in stunning fashion. First, Alex Marquez dipped into the 1:28s, before older sibling Marc obliterated that time with a 1:28.782, just a fraction off the lap record.

Surprise of the session? Ai Ogura. The sensational rookie on the Trackhouse Aprilia stunned the paddock, slotting into third and momentarily appearing as the only real threat to Ducati. Meanwhile, Yamaha still hadn’t fired a competitive lap, and Honda wasn’t looking competitive now that the frontrunners had truly shown their pace.

With six minutes left, Bagnaia tried to respond. Shadowed by Miller, he had no choice but to push to secure a front-row start. Miller, looking aggressive but smooth, powered to fourth, making him the fastest Yamaha.

As Marc Marquez looked set to go even faster, he ran wide at the same corner where he crashed last year. Late drama followed as Marco Bezzecchi crashed, throwing yellow flags that ruined potential late flying laps. Then Joan Mir also went down, spoiling Marc’s flying lap.

Final Grid: Ducati Domination, Rookie Sensation

With no time left, Bagnaia had one final opportunity but couldn’t improve despite pushing the front tyre super hard. Marc Marquez delivered a sensational pole position, leading his brother Alex in second, with Bagnaia settling for third.

Behind them, Miller spearheaded the second row in fourth with a remarkable performance for Yamaha, far outshining his factory teammate Fabio Quartararo, who struggled down in 10th. Perhaps even more impressive, rookie sensation Ai Ogura took fifth, putting Trackhouse Aprilia in a dream position ahead of his vastly more experienced teammate, Bezzecchi, in ninth.

Morbidelli and Chantra both had 3 place grid penalties imposed for baulking other riders in practice.

The reality of 37 grueling laps over 2 days in these oppressive conditions looms. If qualifying was anything to go by, the Thai Grand Prix promises to be a brutal test of man and machine. Marc has been in imperious form so far this weekend, but with his front row start Bagnaia has given himself an opportunity to fight with his main championship rival in this afternoons sprint and tomorrow’s full length race.