WATCH: Marco Bezzecchi sets pace at Thai MotoGP FP1, edges out title rivals Martin and Bagnaia

Marco Bezzecchi asserted his authority in the opening practice session for the 2024 Thai MotoGP at Buriram, emerging at the top of the timesheets ahead of key championship rivals Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia. Despite being out of the title race, Bezzecchi showed impressive speed on his VR46 Ducati, hinting at potential shakeups as the Grand Prix weekend unfolds.

The battle between the title rivals remained intense between Martin and Bagnaia, with both riders coming close to Bezzecchi's time but ultimately trailing the Italian. Martin, riding his Pramac Ducati, secured the second spot, while Bagnaia settled for third on his factory Ducati Lenovo. This FP1 session provided critical insights, highlighting Bezzecchi’s pace and underscoring the competitiveness of Ducati's machinery across its teams and riders.

Here is the video: 

Great start for Bez! 👏

He tops the first session of the weekend! #ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/m3fHJFBVRJ

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 25, 2024

Adding to Ducati’s dominance, Gresini Racing’s Marc and Alex Marquez secured the fourth and fifth spots, underscoring their strong run with the GP23. Behind them was Enea Bastianini on the Ducati Lenovo GP24, rookie sensation Pedro Acosta from Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, and Jack Miller on his KTM, completing the top eight. Aleix Espargaro encountered an early fall that sidelined him for the remainder of the session, though he is not expected to face any significant injuries.

2024 Thai MotoGP, Buriram - Free Practice 1 Results