Marc Márquez was the fastest in MotoGP Thai GP Practice. Only in the final minutes did the rider clock the best time, breaking the Buriram lap record and promising to fight for another win this weekend.
The session began with Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) leading ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati). However, on the second laps, times improved significantly, with Marc Márquez (Gresini/Ducati) taking the lead and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GasGas Tech3/KTM) in second.
The rookie then moved to the lead, while Martín rose to second. But after the first ten minutes, it was Márquez back on top, with Bagnaia second by 0.090s. Acosta dropped to third, with the top positions holding steady for several minutes.
Coming in hot! 🛑#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/wKIawSsZVS
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 25, 2024
Around the midpoint of practice, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) took second, trailing Márquez by just 88 milliseconds. But soon after, Acosta surpassed the 2021 world champion.
With a quarter-hour remaining, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) became the leader, clocking in 82 milliseconds faster than Márquez. Raúl Fernández (Trackhouse Racing/Aprilia) and Quartararo soon followed, moving to second and third, respectively. Moments later, Acosta overtook Binder to become the second rider to hit the 1m29s mark… before Quartararo did the same to briefly take the lead… and then Martín reclaimed the top spot again.
👊 @BradBinder_33's the first rider to switch into time attack mode and the first into the 29s! #ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/2gVTmCOeIk
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 25, 2024
Lap times continued to drop, with multiple changes at the top, and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia) held the best time briefly in the last ten minutes. But the fastest laps came in the final two minutes. Martín and Bagnaia overtook Viñales, before Márquez lowered the reference time to 1m29.165s: a new lap record at the circuit.
The eight-time world champion edged out Martín by 0.110s, with the top two positions remaining unchanged. Just before the end, Enea Bastianini (Ducati) moved up to third, followed by Bagnaia and Viñales in the top five.
Also securing direct entries into the second qualifying were Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac/Ducati), Acosta, Álex Márquez (Gresini/Ducati), Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46/Ducati), and Johann Zarco (LCR Honda).
The Frenchman clinched tenth place, just one millisecond ahead of Binder, who, along with other factory riders like Quartararo, Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM), and the Repsol Honda duo Joan Mir and Luca Marini, will have to battle it out in Q2.
Timesheets:
17 riders within a second! ⏱️@JohannZarco1 straight into Q2 👏
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 25, 2024
Title fighters looking strong ⚔️
We're all set for Super Saturday tomorrow! #ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/MyQRegAtHi
