For the first time in a while, we are happy to write these few words: IT IS RACE WEEK! An exciting 2025 season is about to start with history to be made, as Thailand will host for the time the MotoGP™ World Championship opener, after an unforgettable season launch in Bangkok two weeks ago. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 team is more excited than ever to start this new season of 22 rounds alongside two stars of MotoGP™, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales, set to make their debuts on the KTM RC16.
Grand Prix of Thailand
After just six days of preseason testing, new recruits Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales will be excited for the season to kick off in Buriram as they look to apply all the learnings into a race weekend. Six days on a new bike are never enough to fully tame the beast, so both new Red Bull KTM Tech3 riders will continue the learning process this weekend. The Chang International Circuit saw Enea Bastianini winning gold at the Sprint back in October, but things will be different this season, as both new recruits can only have the realistic target to study the evolution of the RC16 on a race weekend, for now.
The action will return on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 10:45 (UTC+7), followed by the first one hour Practice session of the year at 15:00, which will see the ten fastest qualify directly to Q2. Our Saturdays stop being boring from this week, with plenty of track action going on at the Thai Super Saturday. The day will start with Free Practice 2 at 10:10, followed immediately by the first qualifying shootout of 2025 at 10:50. In the afternoon, the Tissot Sprint will see riders hit the track during 13 laps for the first battle for the gold at 15:00 local time. Finally, after a quick 10 minute-warm up on Sunday morning, the main race of the Grand Prix of Thailand will begin at 15:00 (UTC+7), for 26 laps. LET’S GO RACING!
ENEA BASTIANINI: "For the first time since I have been in MotoGP, I will start the season with a new brand, which is super exciting and really motivating, with new challenges ahead. The preseason was good, but we need to learn a bit more the KTM RC16, and build the confidence step by step, so for sure, we still have areas to improve on as we arrive at the first round. The good thing about arriving in Buriram is that we have two fresh days of tests there, so we already have all the data, but we will have to see how it goes with the conditions, as it is expected to be very hot. The track is incredible, Thai fans are also great and always show us great support, so I am really excited to get this new adventure started!"
MAVERICK VIÑALES: "I am super motivated to start this new season with Red Bull KTM Tech3, it kind of feels like a homecoming with KTM, so I feel good and excited for what is to come. We had a good preseason, but it will take time to fully understand how to exploit the KTM. We made some important steps in the initial phase, but for sure the learning will continue while racing, and we have to accept it, trust the process. Starting the season in Thailand will be nice, different, and I love the passion Thai fans always bring to the track. It provides extra motivation to race in front of them, so I think it will be a great opening round!"
NICOLAS GOYON, Team Manager: "The Red Bull KTM Tech3 team is about to launch its 2025 MotoGP campaign in Thailand, just four months after the last event at the Chang International Circuit. It is a real pleasure for us to go racing in Buriram, we always receive an incredible welcome from Thai fans and locals who show us great support, colours, and passion for our sport. The season launch in Bangkok was a good way to measure their passion and how enthusiastic they are about MotoGP, so I think that many will come to Buriram this week. The whole team is fully excited and impatient to see both Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales race together for the first time under the Red Bull KTM Tech3 colours. Both of them focused on getting used to the RC16 and defining their own bike base during the preseason tests. It was not an easy task, but step by step, we saw them closing the gap to the leaders, which was our target. This week, they need to remain calm, continue their progress, and I am sure that we will fight soon for top positions. Guys, leathers on, and let’s go racing!"
ABOUT THE CIRCUIT
The Chang International Circuit (ช้าง อินเตอร์เนชั่นแนล เซอร์กิต) is a motorsport race track in Buriram, Buriram Province, Thailand. Located around 410 km northeast from the country’s capital of Bangkok, the town of Buriram in the Buriram province, literally translates into “city of happiness”, and its typically hot and humid weather is a key feature of its Southeast Asian location.
The 4.554km layout, opened since 2014, incorporates 12 turns (7 right and 5 left), and can welcome a total capacity of 100 000 people with various grandstands around the circuit providing exceptional viewing opportunities for spectators. It is neighbours to the Buriram United Football Club, 10-time champion of the Thai League 1, the national league. They are currently the defending champions, having won the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.
2018 marked the first year MotoGP™ made its way to the Chang International Circuit. The championship returned for a second edition in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic prevented MotoGP™ from racing in Thailand in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the championship finally returned after two years of absence for the greatest delight of Thai fans, now always making it the most attended round in Asia. History will be made in 2025 with the Grand Prix of Thailand appointed as the championship season opener for two consecutive seasons, in 2025 and 2026.
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2024 - F. Bagnaia (ITA) - 1'28.700, 184.8 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2023 - M. Bezzecchi (ITA) - 1'30.896, 180.3 km/h
Best Pole: 2024 - F. Bagnaia (ITA) - 1'28.700, 184.8 km/h
Top Speed: 2024 - P. Acosta (SPA) - 340.6 km/h
