The final day of 2025 MotoGP pre-season testing began on Thursday morning at Buriram in Thailand.
New factory Ducati signing Marc Marquez was fastest by 0.465s over younger brother Alex on day one, when the Bologna factory confirmed it is mulling over sticking with the GP24 engine for the factory-spec GP25s this season.
Alex has been fastest on the GP24 at the two previous tests, in Barcelona and Sepang, and will be out to make it a clean sweep of winter P1s for Gresini today.
VR46’s Franco Morbidelli completed an all-Ducati top three on Wednesday ahead of Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, KTM’s Pedro Acosta and the Hondas of Luca Marini and Johann Zarco.
Jack Miller was the top Yamaha in tenth as the Japanese factory made a humbler start to Buriram compared to its impressive showing at Sepang.
Absent this week are Aprilia’s reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin and VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio who were both injured at Sepang. Raul Fernandez, who also required surgery after a first day spill in Malaysia, is back for Trackhouse.
Testing takes place from 10am to 6pm, after which the next MotoGP track action will be opening practice for the Thai Grand Prix on February 28.
Joan Mir in sixth is the top Honda rider, although some doubts remain over race pace, the latest RC213V definitely looks more competitive in qualifying trim, backed up by team-mate Luca Marini in 10th.
It was rare for any Hondas to make the top ten on a Friday for direct Qualifying 2 access last season.
Aprilia info on today's testing plans for Marco Bezzecchi and Lorenzo Savadori:
• "The goal of the final day of testing will be to focus on preparations for the first race of the 2025 season. This will include set-up tests and preparation for the race week-end, as well as testing additional components.
• "Lorenzo Savadori will continue the intense development program in preparation for the new season."
Marc Marquez and Ducati Lenovo team-mate Francesco Bagnaia are still outside the top ten, which underlines that they are avoiding time attacks this morning to focus on their testing program.
The giveaway for a time attack is when a rider only does 2-3 flying laps and then pits again. That's exactly what all 12 riders ahead of Marc Marquez have done this morning.
Marquez's best lap was set during his four-lap opening run of the day, suggesting he's kept the same tyres thereafter. The same for Bagnaia, whose opening run was five laps.
Another head turning lap by rookie Ai Ogura, the Trackhouse rider is now up to 5th place. Injured team-mate Raul Fernandez is 12th.
With Marco Bezzecchi in 3rd, it's been a good morning for the RS-GPs and will also provide Jorge Martin with a boost, knowing that when he gets on the bike for free practice at the end of this month his 'team-mates' look to have found a competitive set-up for him to start from.
Acosta and KTM's reign didn't last long - Alex Marquez is back on top for Gresini by 0.099s!
Almost exactly one hour into testing and Acosta's rise is complete by putting his RC16 on top by 0.111s from Bezzecchi.
...But not for long, Acosta improves to retake 2nd and is now just 0.023s from Bezzecchi.
Alex Marquez squeezes between Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta for second place, the Gresini rider has the chance to finish fastest at all three winter tests after leading at Barcelona and last week at Sepang.
Fastest for each brand:
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) - 1st
Pedro Acosta (KTM) - 2nd
Franco Morbidelli (Ducati) - 3rd
Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) - 5th
Luca Marini (Honda) - 8th
The other KTMs are currently 7th (Brad Binder), 11th (Maverick Vinales) and 14th (Enea Bastianini).
KTM's Pedro Acosta is now Bezzecchi's closest rival, with a lap time 0.2s slower than the Aprilia.
Jack Miller, who looks to have adapted well to the Pramac Yamaha, climbs to 6th, directly behind Fabio Quartararo. That's also the Australian's first 1m 29 lap of the test.
Top 10: Marco Bezzecchi, Franco Morbidelli, Alex Marquez, Fabio Quartararo, Pedro Acosta, Luca Marini, Ai Ogura, Brad Binder, Marc Marquez, Maverick Vinales.
Further back home rookie star Somkiat Chantra has posted a 1m 30.5s for tenth place on the LCR Honda, that's 0.7s faster than his best on day one.
Ai Ogura is still the top rookie in 7th with Fermin Aldeguer 18th.
Meanwhile, Franco Morbidelli is now the top Ducati rider, in second on the timesheets for VR46.
Day 1 leader Marc Marquez is in 7th and team-mate Francesco Bagnaia currently 13th.
Even if we assure they will stick with the GP24 engine and chassis, they still have a decision to make on the new fairing.
Marquez seemed to run the GP24 fairing yesterday with Bagnaia doing laps on the '25 design.
After a 'slow' first sector, Bezzecchi sets new fastest sectors for the rest of the lap and improves to a 1m 29.244s. He's now 0.439s clear of Alex Marquez and really carrying Aprilia after the big blow of Jorge Martin's injury.
Top ten after 20mins: Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez, Franco Morbidelli, Luca Marini, Ai Ogura, Pedro Acosta, Marc Marquez, Jack Miller, Fabio Quartararo and Francesco Bagnaia.
All 21 riders have now started testing.
But Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez do break into the 1m 29s, the Aprilia rider is down to a 29.431s which is his best lap of the test and only a few tenths from Marc Marquez's day 1 best.
Not sure what Pedro Acosta had for breakfast but he's 0.7s clear of the field after 5 laps and almost into the 1m 29s already.
Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi, fourth and top non-Ducati on day one, is first to start a 'fast' lap. Bezzecchi said that he hoped to have decided on new parts by the end of day 1 and wanted to focus on set-up for the race weekend today.
The green lights are on and testing begins, ten riders are straight out on track.
The time to beat from day one is a 1m 29.184s by Marc Marquez, which put him 0.465s clear of brother Alex Marquez.
From the comments by Marc Marquez and team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, it looks like the factory team will stick with the GP24 engine this year, but still need to decide on whether to homologate the latest aero.
