Marquez Takes First Pole as Ducati Rider
Summary
Marc Marquez clinched pole position for the 2025 MotoGP Thai Grand Prix with a rapid time of 1:28.782, marking his first pole as a Ducati rider. He outpaced his brother, Alex Marquez, by a narrow margin of 0.146 seconds, while Francesco Bagnaia secured third place with a time of 1:28.955. Franco Morbidelli, who originally qualified sixth, received a three-place grid penalty for obstructing Bagnaia during practice, which dropped him to the third row. This penalty allowed Pedro Acosta to advance to the second row, joining Jack Miller and rookie Ai Ogura, who impressively qualified fifth as the fastest Aprilia rider.
The qualifying session was particularly eventful, with crashes from Marco Bezzecchi and Joan Mir affecting their starting positions. Tensions within the Ducati camp were evident, as Sylvain Guintoli and Michael Laverty criticized Morbidelli's performance for hindering Bagnaia, who faced challenges getting through Q1. As the weekend unfolds, with a 13-lap Sprint race scheduled amidst soaring temperatures, all eyes are on Marquez as he aims to shake off a four-year title drought while navigating the pressures of being part of a leading team.