LIVE TEXT: the latest from the Buriram Test

Thursday 13/02

18:00 - And so the Buriram Test concludes as a final lonely lap from Oliveira becomes the final time set in Thailand... for now. Practice start session underway, it's time to digest what we've seen in the final track action before the season opener. Marc Marquez is fastest overall, but not on Bagnaia's lap record speed from the GP last year. Ducati seem set to race what's almost a GP24. Bezzecchi seems to have settled in big style at Aprilia. And much more! We'll be looking into all the stories in the next few days and couple of weeks ahead of the GP!

17:42 - Bezzecchi leads the way for Aprilia in the afternoon session! His 1:29.060 puts him fourth overall for the test too. Mir is second in this session with a 1:29.399... not a bad showing at all. Ahead of the factory Ducatis of Bagnaia and Marquez is never a bad place to be!

17:30 - Time for After the Flag now! Make sure to tune in to get all the latest news and analysis from the final day of pre-season 2025!

16:21 -  VERY INTERESTING INDEED! The results have landed and Marc averages a pretty incredible 1:30.361 over 23 laps! For reference, in our last dry race in Thailand back in 2023, the race winning average was 1:31.453. Of course, there is the caveat that this was just a simulation in testing and there are different conditions, but it is still extremely impressive from the eight-time World Champion.

15:57 - Still no time attacks but Marc Marquez has been clocking consistent mid 1:30s on his sim. Will certainly make for interesting reading went he full results come through a little bit later!

15:40 - It looks like Sprint and Race simulations are the focus this afternoon, with no changes on the timesheets yet. Based on rough calculations, the best Sprint simulation in Thailand so far has come from Pedro Acosta on Wednesday. The KTM rider completed two runs yesterday, with his second averaging 1:30.335 per lap over 10 laps. Only riders who completed at least eight laps in a run were considered for this analysis.

15:37 - Plenty of riders out on track now, including Marc Marquez! Will we see him, or indeed any other rider, go under Pecco Bagnaia's official lap record? That currently stands at 1:28.700.

15:18 - There are currently five riders out on track, and it looks like some Sprint and/ or Race simulations are being done. Alex Marquez one of the riders spinning laps at the moment. He sits P2 on the timesheets, will he go for another time attack to knock brother Marc off top spot, and make it a clean sweep of the 2025 pre-season Tests? 

15:00 - We can head on over to the circuit to join Jack Appleyard and Louis Suddaby for their midday report of Day 2 in Buriram!

14:51 - Miller has mercy! The Aussie has headed out and it sounds like more might do soon too. One of the big stories in Sepang was Yamaha, so it'll be interesting how they end this second day in Buriram after a quieter Wednesday on the timesheets. 

14:40 - The track went green at 13:20 and Acosta did five laps. Then it's been silence. Now we've had a few bikes warming up in pitlane again but we think they might be teasing. We've also had a few debriefs already and some riders are back in civvies, including Raul Fernandez as he downs tools to continue recovering.

12:52 - We know we promised minute-by-minute but we can also promise there's fairly little happening at the moment. Even the most exciting sport on earth needs some lunch. Just Binder and Zarco pounding round. Practice Start session coming up pronto too, same as Wednesday. 13:00-13:15, then once everyone's back in the track will go green again about 13:20.

11:59 - Oh HELLO. Marc Marquez is on fire at the top now! The six-time MotoGP World Champion has taken over with a 1:28.855. That's the first 1:28 of the test and it's getting realllll close to that lap record.

11:15 - Alex Marquez has smashed it now though! The #73's pre-season form continues as he takes over on top with a 1:29.034. Just 0.099 ahead of Acosta and getting so, so close to that magical 1:28 bracket. Remember, the lap record here is a 1:28.700 from Bagnaia last year at the GP.

10:58 - Here'sssssss Pedro! The Red Bull KTM rider smashes in the fastest lap of the test so far, just edging out Marc Marquez's day one wonder. A good sign for KTM after the #37's Sprint simulation yesterday was also around four tenths a lap quicker than the top KTM last year here in the GP.

10:16 - Bez has hit back! The #72 takes over on top by a quarter of a second, already into the lower 1:29s with a 1:29.431.

10:00 - Rise and shine! Glorious sun is beating down on Buriram and we have a far few riders heading straight out. First to really set a flying lap is Acosta, seven tenths clear at the top with a 1:30.042. Or he was, as Alex Marquez slots into second within half a tenth.

Wednesday 12/02

18:46 - That's all from us today! Make sure to check out all the roundups from the day and hear from some of the key performers... and then come back for more tomorrow. Same time, same place... see you there?

18:30 - So. Marc Marquez has smashed it out the park on the overall timesheets, 0.465 clear of Alex Marquez in second. Morbidelli takes that P3 overall on Day 1, ahead of Bezzecchi and Acosta. And who's that in sixth? Marini again. A positive day for him and Honda, going faster than they ever have before at Buriram on a day where that wasn't true for many others. They have tested here privately beforehand thanks to concessions... but that's exactly what concessions are for!

18:00 - That's it! A final fast one from Franco Morbidelli sees him move up to within half a second of Marc Marquez but it's still a few thousandths off the fastest lap from session 1, aka before the practice starts... combined times pending!

17:55 - Final ten minutes and there are some hot laps! Marc Marquez has now got down to a 1:29.184 and that's the quickest of the day by FAR. He's now six tenths clear at the top ahead of Bezzecchi. Will we see any more?

17:20 - We're into the final stretch on Day 1, with about 40 minutes remaining! That means it is almost time for After the Flag, where you can catch analysis, rider interviews and a recap of all the main stories of the day from Thailand. Make sure you tune in!

16:21 - Marc Marquez takes back to the top! But not by much. 0.019 separates the Spaniard from Bezzecchi in second. And we're still slightly off the lap from Alex Marquez this morning.

15:52 - Bez is now the leader of the second session with a 1:29.794, just a smidge shy of Alex Marquez's quickest from the morning. Speaking of whom, the #73 is still second and still lapping in the afternoon heat!

15:41 - Ai Ogura is the top rookie on the timesheets in 10th, but it hasn't been all smooth sailing, with the Japanese rider suffering a fall at Turn 3. Fellow rookie Fermin Aldeguer also crashed, going down at Turn 8, and you can see the damage to his GP24 on the midday live!

15:39 - Bez falls just short on his next effort but does close the gap to just 0.145s. Elsehwere, Jack Miller moves into the top six with a cracking effort. Great stuff from the Aussie, and he is currently the highest placed Yamaha!

15:36 - Some changes on the timesheets then! Marco Bezzecchi jumps up to second just 0.245s behind Alex Marquez, and he's on another hot lap!

15:00 - Now, we can head on over to the track and here from Jack Appleyard and Louis Suddaby as they bring us a midday round up from Thailand. 

14:39 - Sorry for the silence, there hasn't been much happening during what seems like a lunch break for most, barring the LCR Honda duo and a few forays from Marc Marquez. Now the live timing has reset after the start session too, so on the screen here in Thailand we're back in the 1:30s. Acosta is fastest, 0.053 off the 1:29 club. A few more riders are starting to head back out now. The benchmark remains that 1:29.6 from Alex Marquez overall, but it's seriously warm out there now so we may need some patience before we get more sizzling laptimes.

13:00 - AM73 leads the way as the session technically ends, but only briefly. All the factories requested an extra practice start session at Buriram and their wish was Race Direction's command on that particular request, so we've got 15 minutes for riders to do their thing in the Practice Start areas. Practice Starts can be made in the same locations as for the Grand Prix: the exit of Turn 1 (right hand side), the exit of Turn 3 (right hand side) and the starting grid.

12:37 - Alex Marquez is the new benchmark with a 1:29.649 to head Acosta by quarter of a second. And who's that in third but Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol)!

12:03 - It's a good mix at the top so far... KTM, Aprilia, the Ducati GP24 of Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and then Marc Marquez with that 1:30.5 from his first push. Fabio Quartararo is now seventh for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. He's one to keep an eye on after the Frenchman's form in Sepang spoke to a big step forward from Yamaha.

11:50 - We're homing in. Pedro Acosta is now top for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and he's opened the 1:29 club for business! Bezzecchi is still second but now on a 1:30.185.

10:58 - Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) is top at the moment! A sizeable three and a half tenths top too with a 1:30.587 ahead of Bezzecchi. The lap record here is a 1:28.700 so we're a way off it, but we've started a lot closer than we did in Sepang...

10:00 - GOOD MORNING! It's a hot one, like seven inches from the midday sun. If you don't get that reference don't worry because we have TRACK ACTION. Good gaggle of riders has already headed out of pitlane, with Aprilia Racing's Marco Bezzecchi first out, followed by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Here we go!

Tuesday 11/02

18:00 - MotoGP arrives in Buriram for two days of testing ahead of the 2025 season opener on March 2. The test follows MotoGP's first-ever season launch in Bangkok, where MotoGP mania has swept across Thailand. After Sunday’s spectacular event, teams and riders have already arrived at the circuit, ready for two days of action.

Among the riders in attendance is Raul Fernandez, who will attempt to ride in the Test. The Trackhouse star suffered a big crash on the opening day in Malaysia, which saw him fracture bones in his hand and foot, and forced him to withdraw from the action there. Having undergone surgery, he is in Buriram in a bid to get some pivotal testing time under his belt ahead of the new season. 

One rider who won't be in Thailand is Jorge Martin. The World Champion was also ruled out of action following a massive highside in Sepang, where he too fractured bones in his hand and foot. Having undergone surgery in Barcelona, Martin has opted to rest and regain full fitness before returning to the track.

Ahead of the action, why not check out the full preview for the Buriram Test!