In an exhilarating sprint race at the Thailand Grand Prix, Ducati’s Enea Bastianini emerged victorious, marking his second sprint win of the MotoGP season. The race took place on Saturday at Buriram International Circuit, where Bastianini held his ground against fierce competition, finishing ahead of championship leader Jorge Martin and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia. Bastianini’s skillful navigation of the intense track conditions underscored his competitive edge, bringing a boost of momentum for Ducati ahead of the main race.
Jorge Martin’s second-place finish added to his championship lead, now 22 points ahead of Bagnaia. Martin initially took off strong, briefly seizing the lead at the first turn. However, an overly aggressive maneuver sent him wide, dropping him down to fifth. Despite the setback, Martin quickly regrouped, powering through the laps and reclaiming lost ground. “It was the toughest race of the season so far, the heat was relentless,” Martin admitted. He acknowledged the tricky start, saying, “I had to go wide to avoid colliding, but I kept pushing to hit my target.”
Meanwhile, Bagnaia displayed resilience as he battled Martin and defended his position. Although Martin overtook him on the seventh lap, Bagnaia remained focused, maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race. Reflecting on his third-place finish, Bagnaia commented, “I started well, but something felt off today compared to previous sessions. Still, we managed to secure a podium finish, and now our sights are on tomorrow.”
As the race unfolded, Martin pushed hard to close the gap on Bagnaia, maneuvering his way up the ranks. He overtook Gresini Racing’s Marc Marquez and stayed within centimeters of track limits, narrowly avoiding a long-lap penalty. Neither Martin nor Bagnaia posed a serious threat to Bastianini, who maintained a comfortable lead from early in the race. Marquez, along with his brother Alex, finished in fourth and fifth places, respectively, followed closely by Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli in sixth.
Ducati showcased remarkable dominance in this sprint, with VR46 Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio rounding out the top eight, resulting in a Ducati-exclusive leaderboard. Looking ahead, the penultimate race of the season will take place in Malaysia next weekend, with the season finale following two weeks later in Valencia.