There were all kinds of narratives that made headlines over the course of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship opener at the Buriram International Circuit in Thailand, setting up what will almost certainly be another season of intense action among all three categories. This latest edition of Countdown revisits the weekend from an Australian point of view!

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6. Troubled start for Kelso:
Australian Joel Kelso’s Moto3 season got off to a tough start in Thailand, with a late-race incident cutting his weekend short. After qualifying eighth, the LevelUp MTA Moto3 Team recruit was right in the mix with the lead group in the early stages. However, with five laps to go, he misjudged turn 12 and collided with Angel Piqueras, ending his race prematurely. Piqueras was able to remount and salvage 12th, while Kelso was hit with a penalty post-race, receiving a double long-lap penalty to be served at round two in Argentina.

5. Early promise from Miller and Yamaha:
When Jack Miller was handed a lifeline with Prima Pramac Yamaha for 2025, few would have predicted he’d be the top-finishing YZR-M1 rider in his debut race. Yet, at the Thailand Grand Prix, Miller showed plenty of early promise, proving to be Yamaha’s strongest contender on track. After crashing out of the sprint, the Queenslander running comfortably inside the top-six early on, he looked set for a solid result before a loose fairing disrupted his race, forcing him to physically hold it in place down the straights to prevent it from detaching. It affected his aerodynamics and exposed him to intense heat – leading to burns on his arms – but despite the setback, Miller battled through to an 11th-place result, beating his Yamaha stablemates. While the final result didn’t reflect his potential, his early speed and strong qualifying performance in P4 suggest that the future holds plenty of promise for Miller and the Pramac Yamaha outfit together.

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4. Rookie Ai Ogura top Aprilia:
Japanese premier-class rookie Ai Ogura was ultra-impressive in his MotoGP debut, emerging as the top Aprilia rider on both Saturday and Sunday. With defending champion and Aprilia Racing signing Jorge Martin sidelined due to injury, last year’s Moto2 title winner stepped up for Trackhouse Aprilia with standout performances across the weekend. In qualifying fifth, Ogura backed it up with a strong fourth-place finish in the sprint race before claiming fifth in Sunday’s GP, as Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzechi followed in P6, while Trackhouse teammate Raul Fernandez was a non-finisher.

3. Agius declares Moto2 intentions:
A bold statement was made by Senna Agius in Thailand, proving he’s ready to be a serious contender in the 2025 Moto2 title fight. The Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP rider launched from fourth on the grid and immediately slotted into P3, showing strong pace from the outset. Battling for second with Celestino Vietti, Agius attempted a move with 11 laps to go, resulting in contact that sent Vietti down and earned Agius a long-lap penalty. The highly-rated Aussie quickly refocused, hunting down Diogo Moreira to reclaim third. The pair traded places in the closing laps, but Agius made a decisive move stick to secure his spot on the podium. His third-place finish equals his career-best result from Phillip Island last season, reinforcing his intentions to be a force in this year’s series.

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2. Ducati’s still the bike to beat:
Ducati maintained its dominance at the Buriram opener, as new Ducati Lenovo signing Marc Marquez led a top-four lockout for the Italian powerhouse, followed by his brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Ducati) and factory teammate Francesco Bagnaia on the podium, and Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team’s Franco Morbidelli finished fourth. It was evident, however, that the others have made inroads – to an extent. Aprilia could leave inspired by Ogura and Bezzechi on debut, while both Honda and Yamaha appear to be at least closer than the past season. KTM was experiencing severe tyre degradation, but still left with Brad Binder and Tech3 rider Enea Bastianini finishing inside the top 10. Watch this space.

1. Marquez returns to dominant form:
There was no doubt that eight-time world champion Marc Marquez was back to his very best at Buriram, delivering a statement performance with victories in both the sprint and grand prix after storming to pole position in qualifying. Now aboard the Ducati Lenovo Team’s Desmosedici GP25, the crafty Spaniard looked confident and in control throughout the entire weekend, on debut with the factory team. In a calculated move, he appeared to allow his brother, Alex Marquez, to lead for several laps – seemingly to manage front tyre temperature – before making his move late in the race and pulling away to seal the win. It was a commanding display from Marquez, quickly reminding all why he’s regarded as one of the sport’s absolute greats.