MotoGP can change every day

Marc Marquez is refusing to feel “super happy” after his lights-to-flag victory in the Thailand Grand Prix sprint race, warning that things can change quickly in MotoGP.

Having already established himself in testing as the firm favourite for the Buriram 2025 season-opener, the six-time champion romped to pole position before a dominant win in Saturday’s half-distance race.

The factory Ducati rider finished over a second ahead of his brother Alex Marquez on the Gresini Ducati and, more importantly, he was three seconds clear of his team-mate Francesco Bagnaia.

While Marquez himself admitted that he met the sky high expectations of his fans with a “perfect” Saturday, he feels it’s too early in the year to draw any conclusions about the pecking order.

“Of course, today was an important day because the expectations were high and I tried to use the experience and to not feel those expectations,” he said.

“In the end something arrived [and I delivered on the expectations]. We did the perfect Saturday: pole position, sprint race victory, plus my brother finished second, so even happier. 

“But it’s the first Saturday of the year [and] it’s only a Saturday. Sport can change from one day to the other. I’m happy but not super happy because I know tomorrow will be an important day.”

Marquez showed his experience and maturity in the Buriram sprint race, as he maintained a lead of one second despite having the speed to pull even further from the chasing pack.

The 32-year-old revealed that he had something in reserve, but did not want to go all-out due to the risks involved.

“Sometimes if you push 100 per cent you start to make some mistakes,” he added. “I tried to manage the distance between me and the second rider. 

“I understand during all the years I’ve been here in motogp that it doesn’t matter if you win by one second or three seconds.

“Today I tried to manage that gap, tried to understand what we need tomorrow for the race.

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“There were two, three brake points [where] I had some margin, but maybe if I used that margin maybe I would destroy the [race] – you never know. I rode comfortably, so this is the most important.”

In an interview with Spanish broadcaster DAZN, Marquez expanded further on the weight of expectations behind him and reiterated why he no longer wants to take undue risks in MotoGP.

“The first race is always difficult and even if you try to escape, you see that there is a lot of expectation and desire,” the Spaniard said. 

“Above all you can’t look at the messages that your friends send you. They tell you that you are going to win, to sweep and that is not true. 

“This is a world championship and any mistake is paid for. I only try to do the same as in the tests, and not go beyond that.

“If I feel good, I push and if I don’t see it clearly, I calm down and let the laps pass.”