2025 Thai GP Recap: Marc Márquez reminds Bagnaia what it’s like to Dance with the Devil

The 2025 MotoGP season started with a bang at the Thailand Grand Prix, where Marc Marquez has won his first race with Ducati, since the 2019 season. With this win, Marquez issued a statement to this world underestimating him during his slump years at Honda.

But who needs to worry the most? Without a doubt, it is his teammate, Francesco Bagnaia. Though he was a two-time MotoGP champion and Ducati’s most successful rider, he was nowhere near Marc Marquez at the Buriram International Circuit.

Pecco Bagnaia’s Dance with the Devil

Ducati is now the most dominant team in MotoGP, and there is no doubt about that. Even the satellite teams who buy Ducati engines are performing well compared with non-Ducati-powered teams. However, MotoGP is a sport that depends more on the riders' skills than on the machine's performance.

It’s obvious that a bike needs to perform well in the straights and corners to go faster, but more than that, a good rider can change even a slower machine into a perfect race-winning machine. Marc is a great example as he earned his Ducati seat by performing well with a GP23 engine at Gresini Racing. Now, he has the most dominant bike on the grid, and he can do anything he wants. So, Pecco should get ready to dance with the devil himself.

Hunt or get hunted

Francesco Bagnaia is a raw talent, as his performance in the last few years proves. In his successful years, he never had a real fight with his teammate. His 2024 teammate, Enea Bastianini, is nowhere near Pecco’s class and was never a challenger for him. Only Jorge Martin came as a real challenge, and defeated him with an independent bike. 

The 2025 season is very different, as he has Marc Marquez as his teammate. The Spanish rider will destroy his teammates' mental strength with ruthless driving and aggression. Bagnaia is now well aware that as he saw Marquez driving the same Ducati bike as him in close quarters. So, he either needs to start hunting or will be hunted down. 

What should Francesco Bagnaia do?

The Italian rider should build his mental strength. For now, he has to focus on keeping his consistency and winning podiums that will solely build his confidence level, and once he reaches that level, he becomes unstoppable. Marc Marquez is known for going aggressively into the corners. So, mistakes can happen anytime during his races as he is more vulnerable. But, Pecco is careful with his riding and makes few mistakes during races. This 2025 MotoGP season will be a Ducati Duel, and with Alex Marquez coming strong, Bagnaia faces the threat of the Marquez brothers.

Also Read: Marc Marquez wins the 2025 MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix for the first time as a Ducati rider.