It was an open debate since the start of the meeting at Buriram between the driver, his team, but also Michelin. MotoGP's sole manufacturer had warned: riding with anything other than a hard rear tire during the 26 laps of the overheated Buriram track was reckless. And yet, Aleix Espargaró demanded that Aprilia be shown the tender…
Result ? A thirteenth place and two points brought back from a track that was not appreciated by an RS-GP on which there is a lot to do. The Spaniard was therefore right and managed his business well: “ In my opinion the soft tire was the best choice for this race and I had a long discussion with the team and the Michelin technicians the day before the Grand Prix. There were some doubts about durability and the final rounds ».
« But I preferred to keep my position without risk, and I think we made the most of our equipment because this Buriram track is certainly not one of the best on the calendar for us. Thirteenth place and the two points won cannot completely satisfy me. We need to improve and we know our weaknesses well ».
The one who only returned 21s to the winner is already planning on Japan: “ Now I can't wait to go find Motegi again. I like this country, I like the track, the setup is good, I have been competitive in Japan several times before. And I like Japanese cuisine. The Motegi is a track where late braking is important; it should go well with our bike »
Thai Grand Prix, Buriram, MotoGP J.3: classification.
| 1 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | 39'55.722 |
| 2 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | +0.115 |
| 3 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | +0.270 |
| 4 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | +1.564 |
| 5 | 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | +2.747 |
| 6 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | +3.023 |
| 7 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | +6.520 |
| 8 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | +6.691 |
| 9 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | +9.944 |
| 10 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | +11.077 |
| 11 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | +15.488 |
| 12 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | +17.691 |
| 13 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | +21.413 |
| 14 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Honda | +22.802 |
| 15 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | +23.628 |
| 16 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | +23.804 |
| 17 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | +32.507 |
| 18 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | Ducati | +37.216 |
| 19 | 81 | Jordi TORRES | Ducati | +39.204 |
| 20 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | +39.421 |
| 21 | 44 | Pol Espargaró | KTM | +53.388 |
| 22 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 2 lapses |
| Not Classified | ||||
| 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | 8 lapses |
