Marco Bezzecchi
“After the mistake in the sprint, it was important to stay calm and bounce back. The victory in Buriram is a very pleasing result. We worked well in testing, so it was crucial to confirm our form over the race weekend as well – something we were unable to do last year, despite a good test here. In the race, I tried to give it my all without making mistakes, so I’m very pleased with this victory.”
Jorge Martin
“A few months ago, I couldn’t even feed myself, and today I finished the race in fourth position. I’m very happy and very grateful to the people who supported and helped me. It has been a winter of great mental preparation to feel ready and to believe in what I’m doing. Today I didn’t have high expectations, but from the very start I felt comfortable and was able to battle with Marc and Pedro.”
Pedro Acosta
“We’re not only leading the world championship for a day! The team is working super-good. We struggled so much here last year and this time we made back-to-back podiums. We have to be happy. Thanks to all at KTM; all the people back there must have been pushing for us in the early morning. Thanks to everyone at home who has been supporting me. We made good.”
Brad Binder
“Happy on one hand but on the other I’d like more than a 7th. We’re going step-by-step and moving forwards because it was good to be in Q2 directly on Friday and both races were pretty good. We’ve made a step with consistency. Today was a lot more challenging than the Sprint. The bike clearly has the potential, so we’ll keep working and try to catch up to Pedro.”
Enea Bastianini
“A complicated race because there was a lot of movement on the straight that was hard to manage. That problem aside I think we improved a bit over Saturday but not enough. My expectations were higher for this race compared to last year and we need to change our work a bit.”
Maverick Viñales
“We tried different things during Warm-up but the result was the same as Saturday and I missed front grip. In the test I had felt better but it was getting a bit worse each day this weekend. I was very slow in mid-corner and missing the turns. It was very strange. We need to forget this weekend and work for the next one.”
Jack Miller
“Obviously it wasn‘t the race we were hoping for. Overall, the bike itself didn‘t feel bad over the distance and physically I felt fine, but from the very beginning I understood we had an issue with the rear tyre. I tried to manage it as best as I could — short-shifting, being smooth, waiting to pick the bike up on the exits — but as the laps went on it became more and more difficult. In the end the tyre was completely worn in the centre and on the straights I couldn‘t use more than about a quarter throttle. It was a tough situation to manage. Still, it was our first full race with the V4. It didn‘t go the way we wanted, but the important thing is that all four bikes finished and we gathered a lot of information. It‘s a base to build from, and there‘s plenty of room to improve as we head to Brazil.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
“It was my first full race in MotoGP and, of course, I was hoping for a better result. But it was a long and very demanding race — 26 laps in that kind of heat is physically tough. We had some clear issues with rear grip, especially as the race went on, but I‘m not looking to put the blame anywhere else. I know I still have a lot to learn, and at the same time we know Yamaha is working hard to improve the package. Grip was quite limited throughout the race, and it seemed to be a common situation for all Yamaha riders, as we were running close together. Now we focus on the next race. I know I will give my best, and I know the whole team will do the same.”
Fabio Quartararo
“It was a tough race, but a bit of what we expected. Hopefully in Brazil we will feel better with the bike.”
Alex Rins
“It was a really tough race, and it was very difficult to manage the tyres. I gave my 100% on every lap. We leave Thailand after preseason testing and the race weekend with some good conclusions. Let’s keep going, and let’s keep growing this project, and I’m looking forward to Brazil.”
Francesco Bagnaia (9th)
“It was a tough race. I tried to manage the situation from the beginning, without pushing, in order to get to the end of the race with the best possible grip conditions. In the final laps, when I got closer to the group ahead of me, I started to feel the drop in grip. This weekend, unlike in testing, I had a hard time getting the bike stopped and making it turn the way I would have liked. We need to roll up our sleeves to get back to the front, but I think this race was a bit of a one-off.”
Marc Márquez (DNF)
“It’s true that other riders, even in testing, had jumped the kerb in that spot and nothing happened. I ran wide at turn four, but when I ran over the kerb I felt a strong impact and that the tyre had deflated due to the rim breaking. It was an unfortunate incident, as I was managing the situation. I knew it would have been a long race and my approach was therefore a conservative one, but in the end I saw that I was getting closer to the podium, so I tried to attack. Unfortunately, these things can happen, but we know we’re already at a good level.”
Alex Marquez
“Starting from the third row didn’t help us, but it was still a race of management until the crash. The others have certainly improved, but we have to keep working and stay calm. My race was to stay behind Mir at a distance so as not to overheat the front tire too much, leaving me with no chance of overtaking. The crash came when I tried to push a little harder; I had no feeling with the front and lost it with a small mistake.”
Michelle Pirro
“I’m a little disappointed. I thought I’d do better by putting all the pieces of the puzzle together these past few days. Instead, from the start of the race, I immediately felt uncomfortable with the tires, a feeling I’d never had all weekend. I tried to manage the tires, but it was quite strange. I’m disappointed because I wanted a little more consistency. I gave it my all, and I thank Nadia and the whole team for their trust these past few days.”
Fabio Di Giannantonio
“The race plan was to start strong and immediately stay in the front group. Unfortunately, we struggled because the others had an incredibly fast start. So we had to manage the tyres. Then, we had a technical issue from lap six and I couldn’t push the way I wanted. On top of that, there was very little grip on track today and the temperatures were really high. But if we finished sixth despite a problem, we can be optimistic, because today we could have had a really great race. I think we could have fought at least for third place because we were there in terms of pace. Overall, the bike is working very well: it’s only the first race, there are many positives, and I’ve never prepared for a season this well. We’ve worked with calm and confidence. We’re very fast and we had a solid weekend. It’s a pity we couldn’t complete the job with two strong races, but we head to Brazil with a smile and the confidence that we can be competitive.”
Franco Morbidelli
“Today it felt like there were two races for us: at the start I struggled a lot, and I was nineteenth until lap five. Then I found my rhythm and started gaining many positions. I’d say the first part of the race wasn’t good, but after that it became very strong and solid. I had a bit of a grip issue. In this race the tyres were consuming quickly and the feeling wasn’t at its best, but I managed it well. Overall, it was a weekend of ups and downs. There are some aspects of the new package we still need to work on in depth. But there’s definitely a very good potential.”
Joan Mir
“A real shame what happened today. I really enjoyed the race, I was riding really well and making some great overtakes. Then something happened which was not in our control and our race finished. We have to check properly what happened. We have to focus on the positives that we have done this race weekend and bring it to Brazil. Normally at new tracks we can be strong, I think I am a quick learner, so we will try and take advantage of that. Focusing on the positives, we showed our speed and the progress Honda have made.”
Luca Marini
“I think the race was tough for everyone, not so much from the temperature and the physical side because this is what we train for, but you really had to manage everything with the bike to arrive to the end. After four laps we weren’t able to brake as we’d like, which made the race very long as that is our strongest point normally. I made a really good start but then lost three positions on the straight quite soon after. Everyone from about fifth to 14th has a very similar pace, so if you miss something in Qualifying or early in the race you spend a lot of time catching up. But a good way to start the year, we learned a lot and know what we have to do next.”
Johan Zarco
“I’m happy to finish the race and take some points, it’s a good way to start the championship. We still have many races to go, but starting the season with this level of control is positive. I tried to manage the situation from the beginning and did my best considering the huge tyre drop. I managed to bring it to a close because if I had pushed harder, I probably wouldn’t have finished. I believe in the work we’re doing, the bike is performing well, we have a good base, and we just need to adjust a few small things”.
Diogo Moreira
“It was a good race, I’m super happy. I fought with Enea, and it was fun. The tyre dropped off quite a lot, so I struggled a bit, but overall it was really good. At some point I was alone pushing, because after 12 laps, the tyre degradation was significant, but it was still a positive race for me. We’ve started the season with high motivation, and this is a learning process. I can’t wait to do more races, I’ve had so much fun this weekend!”
