ing Ducati was the decision to
persist with its 2024 engine after
both riders and bosses conclud-
ed the '25 motor gave too much
away in corner entry.
"The
bike, we will call it the
24.9, so very close to the new
one," said Bagnaia, indicating
he and Marquez will be racing
with many new parts, even if the
engine is last year's.
While Sepang was undeni
-
ably grim viewing for Aprilia
bosses, there was renewed hope
in
Thailand. Marco Bezzecchi
was the main reason behind
that. The Italian's performance
over the two days was highly
promising. Of those that posted
a Sprint simulation on the final
day, his was the fastest, with his
average lap time close to three-
tenths of a second faster than
the next best. Yes, the Chang
International Circuit is one of his
favorite tracks, but it's been ter
-
rible for Aprilia's RS-GP in recent
years,
meaning there is a good
chance Aprilia's '25 bike is much
improved. His performance will
have given World Champion
Jorge Martin—absent here after
crashing out in Malaysia—an
added boost in his recovery.
Pedro Acosta was fourth, al
-
though both he and Brad Binder
were well
off it on longer runs.
And there was great hope for
Honda after Joan Mir finished
the test in sixth. What's more,
the 2020 World champ posted
a fine Sprint run on Thursday,
which was just a few tenths off
Bezzecchi per lap—finally signs
of progress at HRC.
Yamaha's post-Sepang op
-
timism was dulled somewhat.
Fabio
Quartararo was eighth here
after failing to find comfort on
either of Michelin's two front-tire
options. Yet his rhythm was solid
on the final day. Again, there was
decent backup in the form of
Jack Miller, who was 10th.
Neil Morrison
2025 Thailand MotoGP Test
1. Marc Marquez (Duc) 1:28.855
2. Alex Marquez (Duc) 1:29.034
3. Marco Bezzecchi (Duc) 1:29.060
4. Pedro Acosta (KTM) 1:29.133
5. Pecco Bagnaia (Duc) 1:29.378
VOLUME 62 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 19, 2025 P45
Pedro Acosta brought
the Red Bull KTM Factory
RC16 in for fourth.
