INDIA in F1

Tag: Season Opener

  • Strategic masterclass sees Marc Marquez double up in Buriram stand-off

    Strategic masterclass sees Marc Marquez double up in Buriram stand-off

    Becoming the first rider to win on their Ducati factory debut since Casey Stoner in 2007, Marc Marquez departs Thailand with a perfect start to his title charge.

    Buriram, 2 March 2025: The goosebumps of the season-opening Grand Prix are always special and the moment finally came to fruition as the PT Grand Prix of Thailand launched MotoGP in 2025. A tactical race with plenty of talking points, it was six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) who bagged 25 points, but in a race where the results don’t tell the entire story…

    AS IT HAPPENED: Marquez holeshots before relinquishing lead
    Grabbing the holeshot and seizing the initiative in a repeat of the Sprint on Saturday, Marc Marquez lead them through the opening laps. Brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was second whilst Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) occupied P3. Another good start from Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) saw him briefly inside the podium places on Lap 1 but he was soon shuffled back. Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) charge in the leading places soon came to an abrupt end with a fall at Turn 1 on Lap 4.

    The race looked to be taking a familiar tone to the Sprint but you can never guarantee anything in the most exciting sport on Earth. On Lap 7, coming out of Turn 3, leader Marquez seemingly slowed down with no apparent or visual reason. He slotted in behind his brother, who assumed the lead of the Grand Prix; whilst Marc may not have led every lap of the year, a Marquez has. Whether it was for tyre pressure concerns, tyre/fuel conservation or another factor, we now had a tense Grand Prix at the front between the rival siblings.

    BATTLES ELSEWHERE: Miller in contention, Mir top ten goes begging
    Further back, there was a good fight for sixth place with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Joan Mir (HRC Honda Castrol). However, for Mir, the 2020 World Champion’s optimism turned to despair as he fell on Lap 16 at Turn 12, tucking the front and unable to remount.

    Maintaining the status quo for the next handful of laps at the front, Marc remained glued to his brother; on Lap 18, Pecco was likewise just a second back but after a couple more laps, started slipping back but was in a safe third place ahead of the #21 of Franco Morbidelli. Having initially looked as if he didn’t have the pace to go with the leading brothers, the #63 closed back in.

    DECISIVE MOVE: Marc attacks with 3 to go
    It came too late to have a say though as on Lap 23 at Turn 12, Marc attacked Alex and retook the lead. All eyes were now on whether or not the #73 had anything left in the locker, but he didn’t. The six-time MotoGP Champion had it all under control. 93 Grand Prix weekends after he last led the World Championship, Marc Marquez doubled up at the Destination of Speed and took his first Grand Prix victory in the red of Ducati. A 112th podium, he matches ex-teammate at Honda Dani Pedrosa in the rostrum rankings.

    Bagnaia closed in on Alex as the race reached its climax but couldn’t have a say, with Alex holding on and joining his brother on the podium. Pecco’s third place means the top three from the Sprint emphasised their strength with a repeat showing in Sunday’s Grand Prix. Morbidelli clinched fourth place ahead of an impressive Ogura, who can be proud of a double top five on his debut weekend to welcome him up to MotoGP. Ogura’s result is the best by a rookie in a Grand Prix since 2013 – some kid called Marc Marquez back then. It’s also the first top five for a Japanese rider in a Grand Prix since 2021’s Styrian GP, with Takaaki Nakagami also in P5. Bezzecchi fought through for P6 ahead of a late-charging Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), already bettering Honda’s best result from last year at the same Grand Prix.

    BEST OF THE REST: Binder and Bastianini come through
    Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a quiet race to P8, ahead of a resurgent Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) who turned his pre-season woes into Grand Prix gains in ninth; Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) came through to deny Miller the final place within the top ten, although Miller’s first Grand Prix with Yamaha saw him as the top representative for the Iwata manufacturer.

    With Miller taking P11, Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) was next up and saw off pressure from rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with the 2021 World Champion having a nightmare opening lap where he was as low as 18th and never really recovering. Home-hero Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) took 18th, just five seconds from points on his debut.

    That’s a wrap on Buriram. For Marc Marquez it’s the first time he’s won the opener since 2014. For Ogura, it’s the best rookie GP result since… Marc Marquez in 2013. 

  • Max Verstappen begins season with a pole after a tough battle with Leclerc

    Max Verstappen begins season with a pole after a tough battle with Leclerc

    Bahrain, 1 March 2024: Defending Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of 2024 in a closely contested Qualifying session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, with the Red Bull driver beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.228 seconds with Mercedes’ George Russell in third place. 

    Verstappen had to work hard in the final runs of the session to beat Leclerc, with the Ferrari drivers just six hundredths of a second behind the Dutchman after the opening runs of Q3. Verstappen upped the pace on his final run to post a time of 1:29.179 but Leclerc, who had gone quicker than that in Q2, was clear by a small margin after the second sector of his final. However, the Ferrari driver lost out in the final sector and Verstappen claimed his third career Bahrain Grand Prix pole. 

    At the start of the hour, in Q1, Ferrari were first on track, Carlos Sainz took up early residency in P1 with a lap of 1:31.208 just under six hundredths of a second ahead of team-mate Leclerc. 

    Verstappen initially held fire but after six minutes he left the Red Bull garage and jumped to the top of the timesheet with a lap of 1:30.031 ahead of McLaren’s improving Lando Norris, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Sergio Pérez, who slotted into fourth place with his time of 1:30.221. 

    Sainz though was into his second attempt and the Spaniard was the first to dip below the 1m30s mark, stopping the clock at 1:29.900 and returning to the top of the timesheet a little over a tenth ahead of Verstappen. 

    Verstappen went for a second run at the end of the session but he failed to improve and as Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll jumped to P2 with his final flyer, Verstappen went through to the next session in P3. 

    There was no place in Q2 for either Sauber, however, with Valtteri Bottas ruled out in P16 ahead of team-mate Zhou Guanyu. Williams’ Logan Sargeant was also bounced out in P18 ahead of the Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. 

    At the start of Q2 Verstappen led the way with an impressive lap of 1:29.374 that put him almost six tenths clear of Pérez and third-placed Norris who was the only other driver below 1m30s. Ahead of the final runs, Leclerc sat in fifth ahead of Alonso, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Sainz. 

    Both Red Bull drivers backed out their final Q2 runs and that left the door open for Leclerc who stole top spot with a strong final flying lap of 1:29.165. Sainz took third place behind Verstappen. 

    RB’s Yuki Tusnoda who was ruled out in P11 ahead of Stroll, Albon, the second RB of Daniel Ricciardo and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen. 

    Verstappen was quickly out on track at the start of Q3 and the World Champion put in a good opener of 1:29.421 to take provisional pole. Leclerc was just six hundredths of a second off the Dutchman, however.

    But Verstappen found more pace in the final runs to post a lap of 1:29.179. Leclerc momentarily looked to be powering past that, but despite being marginally clear after the second sector he pushed his tyres too hard and when he crossed the line he was two tenths of a second off Verstappen, and the champion had his first pole of 2024. Russell took third place for Mercedes, with Sainz fourth on 1:29.573. 

    Pérez’s 1:29.932 was good enough for fifth place and the front of row three, alongside Alonso. The McLarens of Norris and Piastri are set to occupy row four and the final top 10 positions were taken by Hamilton and Hülkenberg. 


    2024 FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix – Qualifying 
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:29.179 
    2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:29.407 0.228 
    3 George Russell Mercedes 1:29.485 0.306
    4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:29.507 0.328 
    5 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 1:29.537 0.358 
    6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:29.542 0.363 
    7 Lando Norris McLaren 1:29.614 0.435 
    8 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:29.683 0.504 
    9 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:29.710 0.531 
    10 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 1:30.502 1.323 
    11 Yuki Tsunoda RB 1:30.129 0.950 
    12 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:30.200 1.021 
    13 Alexander Albon Williams 1:30.221 1.042 
    14 Daniel Ricciardo RB 1:30.278 1.099 
    15 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:30.529 1.350 
    16 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 1:30.756 1.577 
    17 Zhou Guanyu Sauber 1:30.757 1.578 
    18 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:30.770 1.591 
    19 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:30.793 1.614 1.810
    20 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:30.948 1.769