MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

The MotoGP regulations allow for the teams and factories to have two official tests before the start of the season. The first is traditionally at Sepang, the second at the track where the opening round of the season is set to take place.

In theory, 2025 follows the same pattern. In practice, the second MotoGP test of the 2025 preseason is more of an extension of the first test than a completely separate entity. Since the riders packed up on Friday night, they have traveled to Thailand, had a day of rehearsing the MotoGP launch on Saturday, attended the huge official series launch in the center of the Thai capital Bangkok, a day off on Monday (though likely filled with sponsor obligations in an important market, especially for factory riders) and then a day to discuss the outcome of the Sepang test and the plan for the Buriram test on Tuesday, before taking to the Chang International Circuit for two days of testing on Wednesday and Thursday.

In that brief period between the Sepang and Buriram tests, the teams and factories have barely had time to analyze the date from Sepang, let alone prepare new material based on the feedback of the riders. In previous years, there has been ten days to two weeks to design and make new parts, though that is mostly aero and smaller items like suspension links and triple clamps. Two weeks is nowhere near long enough to build a new frame or a new swingarm, let alone a revised engine.

So the best way to view the Buriram test is as the 2.0 version of the Sepang test. It's on a different track with very different conditions, but it is more of a continuation of the first test than a completely new experience.

The second MotoGP test is always something of a strange beast anyway. As it is always held at the same track as the opening round of the season, it is more preparation for the first race of the season than entirely focused on testing. The second day of the final test of the preseason is always FP0, rather than a chance to test parts and finalize a base setup.

That doesn't mean the Buriram won't be valuable. After three days of shakedown test and three days of official testing, with little or no rain to clean the track, there was a thick layer of rubber on the Sepang asphalt. A blue groove, to borrow a term from flat track racing, where enough rubber has been laid down to provide exceptional grip.

Buriram, on the other hand, is already a relatively low grip track. Add in the Michelin rears with the special heat-resistant casing, to cope with the heat of the asphalt and the hard acceleration and the high speeds, and you really have to work to find grip. Though the riders may hate the feeling, it is just what the crew chiefs and engineers ordered to get a better understanding of their bikes.

The layout helps too. Though there are some similarities with Sepang in terms of hard braking zones, the nature of the corners is very different. There is the tight right Turn 1, the kilometer-long run through the merest kink of Turn 2 toward the hard braking zone for the long double apex hairpin of Turn 3.

The very fast sweeping left of Turn 4, then the long flowing lefts of Turns 5 and 6. A few right handers, then the complex best viewed as very long chicane, as riders negotiation the right of Turn 9, then the long corners of Turns 10 and 11 which immediately follow. One more hard braking zone for the very tight first gear Turn 12, before you are back across the line again.

Ducati: 24 vs 25

The lack of grip will help clarify Ducati's decision on whether to use the 2025 engine they prepared for the GP25, or stick with the tried and trusted GP24 motor. That engine still has some potential left, Pecco Bagnaia told us in Sepang, while the 2025 engine sacrifices something in braking to give the engine more power and a smoother power delivery.

The choice of engine for Ducati, along with KTM and Aprilia, is going to be crucial. If they get it wrong, they are stuck with this engine for two seasons. With the new MotoGP technical rules to be introduced in 2027, the engine development freeze has been extended from one season to two, with an eye to reducing costs and allowing the manufacturers to concentrate on developing the 850cc engines ahead of the 2027 season.