Written by Finn Glover, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
MotoGP returns to the sizzling and sweaty Eastern Thailand for the Thai Grand Prix. With unpredictable weather, simmering storylines, and a super close, frenetic championship battle, and just three rounds to go, this round could indeed make or break a season's worth of work.
Throwback: Thai Grand Prix 2023
Last year’s form proves good omens for the current championship leader Jorge Martin, who claimed a sensational double sprint and race win to keep himself in touch of the championship in 2023.
It was a weekend of dominance, with Martin claiming pole ahead of a surging Luca Marini on the VR46 and Aleix Espargaro, with Bagnaia only sixth.
He then went on to obliterate the field in the sprint, leaving his challengers battling relentlessly behind, with KTM’s Binder and Marini rounding out the sprint podium.
Yet, the main race was a different story, and it could be argued why it was the race of the season in 2023.
Martin led from the start once again, scurrying off, with Espargaro leading the pack behind. Espagaro attempted to dismantle the lead, but ultimately it came to nothing. Binder was the man on the move, finding himself up in second and Bagnaia eventually clambered to third. With less than ten laps to go, it was this trio out in front…
That’s when the action started. Binder shot up the inside of turn eight on lap 20, yet Martin retaliated immediately. This set the scene for seven laps of pure battling between the top three, with Binder and Martin exchanging paintwork and positions.
Martin eventually grabbed the lead for good on the penultimate lap. Yet, that still didn’t come without challenge, with Bagnaia almost pulling off the move of the century at the final corner on the penultimate lap around the outside of both Binder and Martin.
Yet he couldn’t, and Martin went on to win ahead of Binder and Bagnaia, with the top three separated by just over a quarter of a second. Binder would later be demoted to third for exceeding track limits on the final lap, but nothing could take away from this sensational race around Buriram.
Round 17: Australian Grand Prix
Last week on the island was a weekend of comebacks mixed with superiority, rain mixed with rain, and the occasional moments of calmness and chaos.
After FP1 was cancelled due to wet weather, Martin went on to dominate in the iffy conditions. The championship leader claimed pole and sped away to a flawless sprint victory. Marquez blew out wide at turn one, yet slowly clambered his way back to second in a remarkable performance.
It was a story of differing fortunes for Bezzecchi, who fell from second down to sixth and smashed into the back of Vinales’ bike at 140 mph, in one of MotoGP’s biggest crashes.
Bagnaia was also dropping, eventually succumbing to teammate Bastianini, who completed the sprint podium behind Martin and a marvellous Marquez.
In the main race, Marquez had another awful start, after bizarrely spinning up on a tear-off strip that awkwardly fell beneath the tyre on the grid. He dropped to 13th, but climbed to sixth after the first lap.
His charge continued, as the veteran Spaniard battled through the field, and closed up to the back of Martin and Bagnaia. Martin then ran wide at turn one, opening the door for Bagnaia to dive up the inside of the super fast turn three. Yet, at Miller’s Hairpin, Martin lunged back, and Marquez capitalised to move up to second.
Then the top two skittled off, and with just four laps to go, Marquez had his first crack of getting past Martin, which he did successfully into the Siberia corner. Yet, Martin’s phenomenal turn one late braking allowed him to launch back past on the next lap.
But this didn’t last long at all, with a stupendously late lunge by Marquez into the hairpin giving him the lead after a remarkable comeback. And somehow, he held on, taking his 62nd race win, and surely, one of his best.
He was followed home by Martin in second, and Bagnaia, a few seconds back, in what was a difficult weekend for the Ducati man.
The top five in the championship after Phillip Island is as follows:
1- Jorge Martin (Pramac) 424 Points
2- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) 404 Points3- Marc Marquez (Gresini) 345 Points
4- Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo) 331 Points
5- Brad Binder (KTM) 192 Points
The Track
Buriram’s Chang International circuit shares distinct similarities with the Red Bull Ring in Austria. With long straights into heavy braking zones, a short run to the first corner and some tight and twisty sections sprinkled in, it is a seemingly perfect racetrack, with all three dry races held here coming down right to the last corner of the last lap.
The track consists of just 12 corners, and at 4.554 km (2.83 mi), is one of the shorter race tracks in MotoGP. The hairpin of turn three has received many plaudits from riders and experts, renowned as one of MotoGP’s best corners due to its multi-lined nature and potential for huge divebombs.
Similarly to most of the tracks in the Asian leg of the championship, the Chang circuit isn’t overly used, meaning it is quite low in grip and hosts a slender racing line. Yet, no need to worry about the lack of overtaking — the straights and tight corners boast plenty of opportunities!
20 points is still easily a surmountable gap for Bagnaia. But now, with just three races to go, we are getting into desperate times for the two-time champion. And desperate times often call for desperate measures.
The Thai Grand Prix is famous for its crazy battles and last-gasp finishes, and statistically, we have a 75% chance the race will be decided on lap 26/26.
And that’s not the only storyline. Can Marquez capitalise on his fine Phillip Island performance? Can Espargaro ride out his final three races on a high, especially at a track he has a decent history? In a track of close margins, it could be a weekend to remember.
So, join us in watching! Thailand always throws up a storm, literally and metaphorically. Anything could happen, and we are about to find out. The race starts at 2 pm local, and 8 am GMT.
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