Roadracing World’s Sam Fleming interviews MotoAmerica Technical Director Tige Daane about the history, philosophy, logistics and politics of performance indexing motorcycles for Next Generation Supersport and Super Hooligan.
Editorial Note: Insiders say that Yamaha will support at least one multi-rider R9 team in MotoAmerica Supersport.
Developing the R9 into a Next Generation Supersport Challenger
Yamaha Motor Europe’s supported teams in the FIM Supersport World Championship will race the all new R9 in 2025, marking a new generation of Supersport for Yamaha with the switch to the 890cc three-cylinder machine.
Over the last 25 years, the R6 has been Yamaha’s main WorldSSP challenger and to a lot of success. In its two and a half decades on the racetrack, the R6 achieved no fewer than ten rider world championships, ten manufacturer crowns and 147 race victories. And even in the last three seasons, following the introduction of the ‘Next Generation’ Supersport class, the R6 has remained competitive, even winning its last two races in Jerez in the final round of the 2024 season.
The new R9 made its public debut at the final round of the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship at Jerez this weekend, where both the road-going bike and the new R9 WorldSSP were uncovered in a special presentation before James Whitham (the first ever WorldSSP winner on an R6) and Stefano Manzi (the last ever WorldSSP winner on an R6) took the bikes on a dedicated parade lap ahead of WorldSBK Race 1.
While the R9 has only recently been announced, engineers at Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Research & Development have been secretly working on developing this new Supersport machine into a WorldSSP contender for some time. Receiving the first pre-production unit last April, for more than a year, the team led by Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Road Racing Technical Manager Riccardo Tisci, has undergone a number of secret tests as well as development processes in house at Yamaha Motor Racing Europe (YMRE), based in Lesmo, Italy.
“When we received the pre-production unit the first thing we did was put Stefano Manzi, our leading WorldSSP rider, on the bike at a local circuit in secret,” explains Tisci, talking about the R9 for the first time in Jerez.
“During this test, we did a direct comparison between the standard pre-production R9 and the WorldSSP-spec R6 Manzi was racing at the time. This gave us an understanding of the strengths of the new bike and the areas we needed to work on.
“Following this test, we went back to YMRE and started to develop the race kit from what we had learned, in line with the WorldSSP regulations. The rules allow you to work on triple clamps, linkage, suspension, radiators and engine, among some other areas including bodywork. When we were about 80% there, we took the bike back to the racetrack, this time with WorldSBK rider and 2020 WorldSSP champion Andrea Locatelli to see how we were getting on. The feedback was very positive, especially in terms of engine character – we were actually quite surprised to see the progress in just our second test.”
Developing a new race bike from a brand-new standard machine is no easy task, so YMRE’s engineers decided to deploy new, high-tech methods they’ve never used before including doing a lot of their development via computer simulation.
“We have a very good relationship with YMC and have worked with them closely on developing the bike. They provided the CAD drawings of the standard bike well in advance, these included every part of the bike up to every bolt and washer, so we had a complete modelling of the entire bike.
“From this model, we could then apply computer simulations to see how we could enhance the performance of the machine. We had three types of simulation to run; for the chassis there were stiffness and stress simulations, and for the engine performance we had engine simulations.
“We could simulate things we wanted to try via the computer and see what result this would achieve. Following this, we could then test this on the dyno and what we found was the results on the dyno were very close to what the simulation had suggested. The results were impressive, especially in terms of engine development so this is a procedure we will adopt more regularly in future, including in WorldSBK as we look to further develop the R1.”
Since the early tests, official test rider Niccolò Canepa has ridden the R9 as YMRE have worked on refining the package. The next stage will be for Yamaha’s 2025 Supersport line-up to ride the bikes – the line-up will feature three supported teams with six riders, all of whom will be confirmed in due course. This test takes place at Cremona in the first week of November.
“The bike is obviously still under development, so it will be interesting to hear the feedback of the official riders in the first test,” Tisci continued.
“It is possible we may need to adjust some parts as we head towards the season, we have the first test in early November and then have a few months to see if we need to make some adjustments before further testing next year. We still have time to make changes if needed, but it feels like we are in a good place.”
The R9 will make its debut in the FIM Supersport World Championship in 2025, where Yamaha Motor Europe’s engineers will continue to develop the bike ahead of rolling out a dedicated race kit for national championships for 2026.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) kickstarted an unmissable weekend at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, setting a 1:35.192 to steal the top spot on Friday. Canet bagged a 0.218s advantage over Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), who had an incredible afternoon – claiming P2. The Italian battled back in Practice 1, fighting fit after an earlier incident on the entry to the pitlane in FP. Meanwhile, Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) took third, completing a strong day for the #24 after securing top honours in the morning session and ending Friday just 0.250s adrift from the #44’s benchmark.
It was a hectic start to the weekend, with Free Practice delivering further drama as Ramirez ended the day quickest – setting a 1:35.897. Once Practice 1 began, Canet became the early pacesetter, improving on the times set in Free Practice. Then in the final 10 minutes, lap times dropped, and Ramirez battled back, climbing to the top of the standings before Canet further improved and seized control on the opening day.
Taking fourth after an impressive final run of the day was Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), who set nearly 20 laps throughout the day. Dixon was in front of Alonso Lopez, who brought his Triumph-powered Beta Tools SpeedUp machine to fifth position in Thailand. However, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) would end the day in P6 after the Championship leader suffered an early end to the day after an issue in the final two minutes. Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) took seventh as Round 16 winner Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™) earned P8 at the end of Friday.
Albert Arenas finished a great day for the Gresini Moto2™ squad, finishing in front of Jorge Navarro, who rounded out the top 10, with the #9 replacing the injured Joe Roberts at the OnlyFans American Racing Team. Further back, Izan Guevara (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) showed a strong pace across the day, placing in front of Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team). Meanwhile, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and home hero Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) took the final spots inside the provisional top 14. However, Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) is one of the riders with work to do on Saturday morning – ending Friday in P15.
M2 Friday Practice Classification
Moto3™ kicked off a fascinating weekend at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, with David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) grabbing Friday honours after a brilliant start to the weekend. The #80 clocked a 1:40.703 on Friday afternoon on what was a hectic day for the Colombian, who ended the day with a 0.385s advantage over Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) in second. The Australian had a great opening day of action in Thailand, improving in the closing stages of the session after setting 15 laps. Kelso placed ahead of Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), with the #31 ending Friday as the top Honda rider with a strong starting point for this weekend.
Alonso had a busy morning, finding the limit with a crash at Turn 3 before remounting and later posting a 1:40.544 to end Free Practice at the top of the standings and with a new lap record. Temperatures continued to rise, and once Practice 1 got underway, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was the rider at the top of the standings as Alonso suffered a second crash of the day before remounting and improving on his Practice 1 time to end Friday at the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) worked hard throughout the day, claiming fourth spot and ending Friday in front of Veijer. After leading early on, the Dutchman dropped back to fifth, 0.587s adrift from Alonso’s reference time. Veijer rounded out the top five, while Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) continued to impress, stealing sixth place on a great day for the Italian. Lunetta improved on his final fast lap to place ahead of MT Helmets – MSI’s Ivan Ortola, who seeks redemption after a tough Australian GP. Ortola was ahead of David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), who had a busy day in eighth.
Further back, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) rounded out the top 10 places, with the #36 lapping inside the low 1:41 bracket. Meanwhile, David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power) were 11th and 12th, as Scott Ogden (FleetSafe Honda – MLav Racing) and MT Helmets – MSI’s Ryusei Yamanaka took the vital final spots inside the top 14.
M3 Friday Practice Classification
Friday afternoon’s Practice delivered a vital session for teams and riders at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, with Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) securing the top spot at the end of proceedings. The #93 set an unbelievable 1:29.165, securing a 0.110s advantage over Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who continued a strong day in Thailand. Martin crucially ended the session safely inside the top 10 and ahead of Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). ‘The Beast’ improved on his final flying lap of the day, recovering after an earlier fall at Turn 3.
The 60 minute session served up further drama with a busy start to the session for Lorenzo Savadori (Trackhouse Racing) and Bastianini, who suffered small crashes in the opening stages – riders OK. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez stole top honours early on as the premier class stars began to dip into the low 1:30 bracket. Times were extremely close in the opening 40 minutes, with just 0.445s separating the top 15 riders.
However, time attacks – as usual – began to arrive thick and fast in the final 15 minutes at the Chang International Circuit, with Brad Binder (Red Bull Factory Racing) setting the pace and stealing top honours before Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) found time. It was a breathtaking end to Friday’s action, with Martin becoming the next rider to have a go at the top before Marc Marquez seized control and ended Practice fastest.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) will sleep well tonight, ending proceedings in fourth spot as the Italian continues to work on the setup of his GP24. The reigning World Champion was less than two-tenths adrift from Marc Marquez’ benchmark, finishing Friday in front of the top Aprilia Racing rider, Maverick Viñales. The #12 showed stunning pace throughout the day, beating Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), who grabbed sixth.
Meanwhile, Acosta was able to find time, safely securing a spot in seventh, bouncing back after a tough weekend in Australia. The rookie was quick to adapt, placing ahead of Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who set over 20 laps across the hour-long Practice. The #73 was strong in the third sector, ending the afternoon in front of Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who climbed to ninth after topping FP1, with the final spot inside the important top 10 going the way of CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco.
Further back, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Binder and Jack Miller will go back to the drawing board overnight as both riders prepare to battle in Q1 on Saturday. Joining them will be Quartararo and the fighting fit Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) as an action-packed session awaits. Meanwhile, Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro completed the day 2.218s down, opting to spend the latter stages of the session in the pit box as the #41 continued to recover from his FP1 crash.
MotoGP Friday practice Classification
Marcos Ramirez headed Manuel Gonzalez and Fermin Aldeguer in the Moto2 Free Practice session at Chang International Circuit. Moto2 Championship leader Ai Ogura was fourth.
M2 FP1 Classification
2024 Moto3 World Champion David Alonso topped the first Moto3 practice session at the Chang International Circuit. The Leopard Racing Hondas of Angel Piqueras and Adrian Fernandez completed the top three.
M3 FP1 Classification
MotoGP™ returns for another throw of the dice at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) claiming the advantage after Free Practice 1. The Italian set a strong 1:30.492 in the opening stages of the session, remaining unbeatable in the closing moments. The #72 had a mere 0.038s advantage over World Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who secured second position at the end of proceedings. Martin looked comfortable in FP1 and placed ahead of title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), with the Italian setting 20 laps across FP1.
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was fourth, claiming a strong starting point at the Chang International Circuit. The #93 was 0.259s adrift from the top spot, ending the morning ahead of his brother Alex Marquez, who capped off a great morning for Gresini Racing MotoGP™ – rounding out the top five spots. Meanwhile, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Enea Bastianini was sixth, finishing ahead of the returning Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). The rookie grabbed seventh position, placing ahead of Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in the timesheets.
Further back, Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™’s Fabio Quartararo rounded out the top 10 – finishing as the top riders for the Japanese factories. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) rounded out the top 15 in a tough morning for the Noale factory, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) ending the session down in P21 after the #41 suffered a crash at Turn 12 in the opening 10 minutes.
Friday’s action continues for MotoGP™ Practice at 15:00 local time (UTC +7) as the premier class stars battle for direct entry to Q2, so make sure you tune in and don’t miss any of the action on motogp.com!
MotoGP FP1 Classification
Here are race results from the 52nd WERA Grand National Finals held last weekend.
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The final three races of this enthralling 2024 MotoGP™ campaign have arrived and Round 18 brings us back to a beauty: Buriram, and the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. Ahead of a scorching weekend of action, we got the low down from the chief title contenders and more as another crucial three days on track were previewed.
Press Conference 1 saw Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) sit alongside title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Australian GP winner Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) before Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) had a chat in Press Conference 2.
JORGE MARTIN (Prima Pramac Racing)
Buriram was one of your strongest weekends of the season last year, how confident are you to have the potential to repeat the treble again, and how big will that be for the World Championship?
“I’m happy that I’m still battling for this World Championship. I’m in a good moment as we come from Indonesia, Japan and Australia, which were all really good. Australia was really good, I wanted to win, but it was really difficult. I’m confident about this race, it will be really difficult and hot, and both Marc and Pecco will be really strong, so I think it will be a tough weekend.”
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA (Ducati Lenovo Team)
How important is it to not lose points to Jorge, and do you feel you can show your full potential this weekend?
“The ambition is to recover points and be competitive, we know that this track is better for me in terms of performance. I have always been on the podium at Phillip Island in the last three seasons, but I have not always been the fastest, and I have been struggling more or less every year and this year more. We went in the wrong direction on Saturday, and then it was a bit too late on Sunday, and these two guys were just faster. I had to slow down and just try and finish the race as I was struggling with the tyres. We arrive here at a track that I like and a track where our potential can be higher, and I love the layout, so hopefully we can have a good weekend.”
MARC MARQUEZ (Gresini Racing MotoGP™)
How high are expectations that you can be in the fight again, and do you expect it to be another last-lap decider?
“It will be difficult, especially because these two guys will put the level super high if you want to fight for victory. But we will try to continue our progress, the last races have been super good, we have been consistent and have been fast enough to fight for the podium, so let’s see if we can fight for the podium here.”
BRAD BINDER (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
What do you think is possible this weekend as we know it’s a track which has worked for KTM and yourself?
“I think this is a circuit which has worked well for us, not only last year but before that. In general, I feel pretty good, we come into this race quite prepared; we tried a few things at Phillip Island, and we have seemed to make some small steps forward. I am really looking forward to getting back on the bike here, and my goal will be to put a strong weekend together. It will be great to fight for the victory again, of course, that is my goal, and I am definitely planning on trying hard over the weekend to try and make up some of the difference.”
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
How motivated and determined are you to end your season with another fight for the season?
“It was an amazing weekend for us at Phillip Island. It was fantastic to be back on the level that we showed until our crash in Austria this year, so I am super proud of our comeback. Also, there is a bit of sadness as I have never needed to end my season early or miss a few races due to injury in my career. I’m fully motivated to do a good job this weekend, I want to give my maximum for myself and the team, and it would be fantastic to end the season with a podium as I am also missing it from last year.”
LUCA MARINI (Repsol Honda Team)
Is it possible or realistic to be able to fight for the top 10 finish this weekend?
“I think we have to wait until Friday because every time that we are at a different track, we have to set up the bike and understand our performance in that situation. But we made a huge step forward in these last races. The bike has improved so much, and it is super nice to ride, but it is still missing some performance. This is a track which uses a lot of the bike’s power, and we need to understand the grip level. If we are able to find a good compromise in the bike, then we can try and pass through to Q2. This will be our first target, and then if you start from a good grid position, the race can be really positive.”
Roadracing World’s Sam Fleming interviews MotoAmerica Technical Director Tige Daane about the history, philosophy, logistics and politics of performance indexing motorcycles for Next Generation Supersport and Super Hooligan.
Editorial Note: Insiders say that Yamaha will support at least one multi-rider R9 team in MotoAmerica Supersport.
Developing the R9 into a Next Generation Supersport Challenger
Yamaha Motor Europe’s supported teams in the FIM Supersport World Championship will race the all new R9 in 2025, marking a new generation of Supersport for Yamaha with the switch to the 890cc three-cylinder machine.
Over the last 25 years, the R6 has been Yamaha’s main WorldSSP challenger and to a lot of success. In its two and a half decades on the racetrack, the R6 achieved no fewer than ten rider world championships, ten manufacturer crowns and 147 race victories. And even in the last three seasons, following the introduction of the ‘Next Generation’ Supersport class, the R6 has remained competitive, even winning its last two races in Jerez in the final round of the 2024 season.
The new R9 made its public debut at the final round of the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship at Jerez this weekend, where both the road-going bike and the new R9 WorldSSP were uncovered in a special presentation before James Whitham (the first ever WorldSSP winner on an R6) and Stefano Manzi (the last ever WorldSSP winner on an R6) took the bikes on a dedicated parade lap ahead of WorldSBK Race 1.
While the R9 has only recently been announced, engineers at Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Research & Development have been secretly working on developing this new Supersport machine into a WorldSSP contender for some time. Receiving the first pre-production unit last April, for more than a year, the team led by Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Road Racing Technical Manager Riccardo Tisci, has undergone a number of secret tests as well as development processes in house at Yamaha Motor Racing Europe (YMRE), based in Lesmo, Italy.
“When we received the pre-production unit the first thing we did was put Stefano Manzi, our leading WorldSSP rider, on the bike at a local circuit in secret,” explains Tisci, talking about the R9 for the first time in Jerez.
“During this test, we did a direct comparison between the standard pre-production R9 and the WorldSSP-spec R6 Manzi was racing at the time. This gave us an understanding of the strengths of the new bike and the areas we needed to work on.
“Following this test, we went back to YMRE and started to develop the race kit from what we had learned, in line with the WorldSSP regulations. The rules allow you to work on triple clamps, linkage, suspension, radiators and engine, among some other areas including bodywork. When we were about 80% there, we took the bike back to the racetrack, this time with WorldSBK rider and 2020 WorldSSP champion Andrea Locatelli to see how we were getting on. The feedback was very positive, especially in terms of engine character – we were actually quite surprised to see the progress in just our second test.”
Developing a new race bike from a brand-new standard machine is no easy task, so YMRE’s engineers decided to deploy new, high-tech methods they’ve never used before including doing a lot of their development via computer simulation.
“We have a very good relationship with YMC and have worked with them closely on developing the bike. They provided the CAD drawings of the standard bike well in advance, these included every part of the bike up to every bolt and washer, so we had a complete modelling of the entire bike.
“From this model, we could then apply computer simulations to see how we could enhance the performance of the machine. We had three types of simulation to run; for the chassis there were stiffness and stress simulations, and for the engine performance we had engine simulations.
“We could simulate things we wanted to try via the computer and see what result this would achieve. Following this, we could then test this on the dyno and what we found was the results on the dyno were very close to what the simulation had suggested. The results were impressive, especially in terms of engine development so this is a procedure we will adopt more regularly in future, including in WorldSBK as we look to further develop the R1.”
Since the early tests, official test rider Niccolò Canepa has ridden the R9 as YMRE have worked on refining the package. The next stage will be for Yamaha’s 2025 Supersport line-up to ride the bikes – the line-up will feature three supported teams with six riders, all of whom will be confirmed in due course. This test takes place at Cremona in the first week of November.
“The bike is obviously still under development, so it will be interesting to hear the feedback of the official riders in the first test,” Tisci continued.
“It is possible we may need to adjust some parts as we head towards the season, we have the first test in early November and then have a few months to see if we need to make some adjustments before further testing next year. We still have time to make changes if needed, but it feels like we are in a good place.”
The R9 will make its debut in the FIM Supersport World Championship in 2025, where Yamaha Motor Europe’s engineers will continue to develop the bike ahead of rolling out a dedicated race kit for national championships for 2026.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) kickstarted an unmissable weekend at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, setting a 1:35.192 to steal the top spot on Friday. Canet bagged a 0.218s advantage over Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), who had an incredible afternoon – claiming P2. The Italian battled back in Practice 1, fighting fit after an earlier incident on the entry to the pitlane in FP. Meanwhile, Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) took third, completing a strong day for the #24 after securing top honours in the morning session and ending Friday just 0.250s adrift from the #44’s benchmark.
It was a hectic start to the weekend, with Free Practice delivering further drama as Ramirez ended the day quickest – setting a 1:35.897. Once Practice 1 began, Canet became the early pacesetter, improving on the times set in Free Practice. Then in the final 10 minutes, lap times dropped, and Ramirez battled back, climbing to the top of the standings before Canet further improved and seized control on the opening day.
Taking fourth after an impressive final run of the day was Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), who set nearly 20 laps throughout the day. Dixon was in front of Alonso Lopez, who brought his Triumph-powered Beta Tools SpeedUp machine to fifth position in Thailand. However, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) would end the day in P6 after the Championship leader suffered an early end to the day after an issue in the final two minutes. Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) took seventh as Round 16 winner Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™) earned P8 at the end of Friday.
Albert Arenas finished a great day for the Gresini Moto2™ squad, finishing in front of Jorge Navarro, who rounded out the top 10, with the #9 replacing the injured Joe Roberts at the OnlyFans American Racing Team. Further back, Izan Guevara (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) showed a strong pace across the day, placing in front of Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team). Meanwhile, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and home hero Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) took the final spots inside the provisional top 14. However, Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) is one of the riders with work to do on Saturday morning – ending Friday in P15.
M2 Friday Practice Classification
Moto3™ kicked off a fascinating weekend at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, with David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) grabbing Friday honours after a brilliant start to the weekend. The #80 clocked a 1:40.703 on Friday afternoon on what was a hectic day for the Colombian, who ended the day with a 0.385s advantage over Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) in second. The Australian had a great opening day of action in Thailand, improving in the closing stages of the session after setting 15 laps. Kelso placed ahead of Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), with the #31 ending Friday as the top Honda rider with a strong starting point for this weekend.
Alonso had a busy morning, finding the limit with a crash at Turn 3 before remounting and later posting a 1:40.544 to end Free Practice at the top of the standings and with a new lap record. Temperatures continued to rise, and once Practice 1 got underway, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was the rider at the top of the standings as Alonso suffered a second crash of the day before remounting and improving on his Practice 1 time to end Friday at the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) worked hard throughout the day, claiming fourth spot and ending Friday in front of Veijer. After leading early on, the Dutchman dropped back to fifth, 0.587s adrift from Alonso’s reference time. Veijer rounded out the top five, while Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) continued to impress, stealing sixth place on a great day for the Italian. Lunetta improved on his final fast lap to place ahead of MT Helmets – MSI’s Ivan Ortola, who seeks redemption after a tough Australian GP. Ortola was ahead of David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), who had a busy day in eighth.
Further back, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) rounded out the top 10 places, with the #36 lapping inside the low 1:41 bracket. Meanwhile, David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power) were 11th and 12th, as Scott Ogden (FleetSafe Honda – MLav Racing) and MT Helmets – MSI’s Ryusei Yamanaka took the vital final spots inside the top 14.
M3 Friday Practice Classification
Friday afternoon’s Practice delivered a vital session for teams and riders at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, with Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) securing the top spot at the end of proceedings. The #93 set an unbelievable 1:29.165, securing a 0.110s advantage over Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who continued a strong day in Thailand. Martin crucially ended the session safely inside the top 10 and ahead of Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). ‘The Beast’ improved on his final flying lap of the day, recovering after an earlier fall at Turn 3.
The 60 minute session served up further drama with a busy start to the session for Lorenzo Savadori (Trackhouse Racing) and Bastianini, who suffered small crashes in the opening stages – riders OK. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez stole top honours early on as the premier class stars began to dip into the low 1:30 bracket. Times were extremely close in the opening 40 minutes, with just 0.445s separating the top 15 riders.
However, time attacks – as usual – began to arrive thick and fast in the final 15 minutes at the Chang International Circuit, with Brad Binder (Red Bull Factory Racing) setting the pace and stealing top honours before Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) found time. It was a breathtaking end to Friday’s action, with Martin becoming the next rider to have a go at the top before Marc Marquez seized control and ended Practice fastest.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) will sleep well tonight, ending proceedings in fourth spot as the Italian continues to work on the setup of his GP24. The reigning World Champion was less than two-tenths adrift from Marc Marquez’ benchmark, finishing Friday in front of the top Aprilia Racing rider, Maverick Viñales. The #12 showed stunning pace throughout the day, beating Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), who grabbed sixth.
Meanwhile, Acosta was able to find time, safely securing a spot in seventh, bouncing back after a tough weekend in Australia. The rookie was quick to adapt, placing ahead of Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who set over 20 laps across the hour-long Practice. The #73 was strong in the third sector, ending the afternoon in front of Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who climbed to ninth after topping FP1, with the final spot inside the important top 10 going the way of CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco.
Further back, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Binder and Jack Miller will go back to the drawing board overnight as both riders prepare to battle in Q1 on Saturday. Joining them will be Quartararo and the fighting fit Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) as an action-packed session awaits. Meanwhile, Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro completed the day 2.218s down, opting to spend the latter stages of the session in the pit box as the #41 continued to recover from his FP1 crash.
MotoGP Friday practice Classification
Marcos Ramirez headed Manuel Gonzalez and Fermin Aldeguer in the Moto2 Free Practice session at Chang International Circuit. Moto2 Championship leader Ai Ogura was fourth.
M2 FP1 Classification2024 Moto3 World Champion David Alonso topped the first Moto3 practice session at the Chang International Circuit. The Leopard Racing Hondas of Angel Piqueras and Adrian Fernandez completed the top three.
M3 FP1 ClassificationMotoGP™ returns for another throw of the dice at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) claiming the advantage after Free Practice 1. The Italian set a strong 1:30.492 in the opening stages of the session, remaining unbeatable in the closing moments. The #72 had a mere 0.038s advantage over World Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who secured second position at the end of proceedings. Martin looked comfortable in FP1 and placed ahead of title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), with the Italian setting 20 laps across FP1.
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was fourth, claiming a strong starting point at the Chang International Circuit. The #93 was 0.259s adrift from the top spot, ending the morning ahead of his brother Alex Marquez, who capped off a great morning for Gresini Racing MotoGP™ – rounding out the top five spots. Meanwhile, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Enea Bastianini was sixth, finishing ahead of the returning Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). The rookie grabbed seventh position, placing ahead of Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in the timesheets.
Further back, Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™’s Fabio Quartararo rounded out the top 10 – finishing as the top riders for the Japanese factories. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) rounded out the top 15 in a tough morning for the Noale factory, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) ending the session down in P21 after the #41 suffered a crash at Turn 12 in the opening 10 minutes.
Friday’s action continues for MotoGP™ Practice at 15:00 local time (UTC +7) as the premier class stars battle for direct entry to Q2, so make sure you tune in and don’t miss any of the action on motogp.com!
MotoGP FP1 Classification
Here are race results from the 52nd WERA Grand National Finals held last weekend.
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The final three races of this enthralling 2024 MotoGP™ campaign have arrived and Round 18 brings us back to a beauty: Buriram, and the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. Ahead of a scorching weekend of action, we got the low down from the chief title contenders and more as another crucial three days on track were previewed.
Press Conference 1 saw Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) sit alongside title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Australian GP winner Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) before Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) had a chat in Press Conference 2.
JORGE MARTIN (Prima Pramac Racing)
Buriram was one of your strongest weekends of the season last year, how confident are you to have the potential to repeat the treble again, and how big will that be for the World Championship?
“I’m happy that I’m still battling for this World Championship. I’m in a good moment as we come from Indonesia, Japan and Australia, which were all really good. Australia was really good, I wanted to win, but it was really difficult. I’m confident about this race, it will be really difficult and hot, and both Marc and Pecco will be really strong, so I think it will be a tough weekend.”
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA (Ducati Lenovo Team)
How important is it to not lose points to Jorge, and do you feel you can show your full potential this weekend?
“The ambition is to recover points and be competitive, we know that this track is better for me in terms of performance. I have always been on the podium at Phillip Island in the last three seasons, but I have not always been the fastest, and I have been struggling more or less every year and this year more. We went in the wrong direction on Saturday, and then it was a bit too late on Sunday, and these two guys were just faster. I had to slow down and just try and finish the race as I was struggling with the tyres. We arrive here at a track that I like and a track where our potential can be higher, and I love the layout, so hopefully we can have a good weekend.”
MARC MARQUEZ (Gresini Racing MotoGP™)
How high are expectations that you can be in the fight again, and do you expect it to be another last-lap decider?
“It will be difficult, especially because these two guys will put the level super high if you want to fight for victory. But we will try to continue our progress, the last races have been super good, we have been consistent and have been fast enough to fight for the podium, so let’s see if we can fight for the podium here.”
BRAD BINDER (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
What do you think is possible this weekend as we know it’s a track which has worked for KTM and yourself?
“I think this is a circuit which has worked well for us, not only last year but before that. In general, I feel pretty good, we come into this race quite prepared; we tried a few things at Phillip Island, and we have seemed to make some small steps forward. I am really looking forward to getting back on the bike here, and my goal will be to put a strong weekend together. It will be great to fight for the victory again, of course, that is my goal, and I am definitely planning on trying hard over the weekend to try and make up some of the difference.”
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
How motivated and determined are you to end your season with another fight for the season?
“It was an amazing weekend for us at Phillip Island. It was fantastic to be back on the level that we showed until our crash in Austria this year, so I am super proud of our comeback. Also, there is a bit of sadness as I have never needed to end my season early or miss a few races due to injury in my career. I’m fully motivated to do a good job this weekend, I want to give my maximum for myself and the team, and it would be fantastic to end the season with a podium as I am also missing it from last year.”
LUCA MARINI (Repsol Honda Team)
Is it possible or realistic to be able to fight for the top 10 finish this weekend?
“I think we have to wait until Friday because every time that we are at a different track, we have to set up the bike and understand our performance in that situation. But we made a huge step forward in these last races. The bike has improved so much, and it is super nice to ride, but it is still missing some performance. This is a track which uses a lot of the bike’s power, and we need to understand the grip level. If we are able to find a good compromise in the bike, then we can try and pass through to Q2. This will be our first target, and then if you start from a good grid position, the race can be really positive.”
