Winners: Marquez Brothers

Marc Marquez had avoided making bold claims in pre-season testing and even refused to call himself a favorite. But his performance on track? He let his riding do the talking.

Even though it wasn’t a dominant victory, it didn’t need to be. Marc already knew from last season that when he compared himself to other Ducati riders, he still had what it takes to win. And this year? He’s going to win—maybe even a title.

What’s even better for him is that his younger brother Alex delivered a stunning performance as well. Alex had been quick in testing, but his race pace was a big question mark. However, in the Sprint race, he showed he had enough speed to hold off Bagnaia and secure a Marquez brothers 1-2 finish.

Loser: Bagnaia
Third place isn’t a bad finish. However, Bagnaia hasn’t been the fastest this weekend, yet he wasn’t alarmingly slow either. And after a rough qualifying session, he managed to get into Q1.

But his post-race comments were concerning. He admitted that he is still struggling with Sprint performance, particularly on corner entry—an issue Ducati aimed to fix in the off-season.

It would be simple to say that last year’s sprints cost Bagnaia the title, even if it’s technically true. But they definitely didn’t help either. Sadly for Bagnaia, he isn’t the only Sunday rider out there now—his teammate Marquez is one too.

Winner: Ai Ogura
Rookie rider Ogura had the chance to deliver one of the best rookie performances in recent history—and he proved himself with his performance.

His promotion to MotoGP, specifically to Trackhouse, was a controversial move in 2024. But back then, doubting him was ridiculous, as Ogura’s talent was evident in his late-season dominance in Moto2.

Ogura is the winner of the weekend, finishing in the top five in both races and as the only Aprilia in a Ducati-dominated top five. And that speaks volumes.

Loser: KTM
KTM has had some almost magical moments in Buriram in the past. But this weekend was the opposite of that.

For a manufacturer like KTM, this is concerning, especially since this track, in theory, should suit them. KTM redesigned the bike to be more well-rounded this year, but it’s not paying off for now.

Yet Acosta still showed speed and had a better race, but it simply wasn’t enough. Meanwhile, Binder turned another bad qualifying into a solid finish. This only highlights KTM’s ongoing issue with poor starting positions.

Winner: Joan Mir
Even though it doesn’t sound too exciting, Mir’s ninth-place finish is significant—it marks only his second points finish in a Sprint race. And here’s why.

Mir crashed in qualifying, which absolutely didn’t help him, and Marco Bezzecchi’s bad start made things worse. Last season, in a similar situation, Mir would likely have crashed out. However, instead, he fought back, overtook Johann Zarco, and finished as Honda’s top rider.