The weekend of the Thai Grand Prix, the first round of the 2025 MotoGP season scheduled from February 28 to March 2 at the Buriram circuit, opens with a twist that is monopolizing conversations in the paddock. Jorge Martin, the reigning world champion who moved from Ducati to Aprilia, will not be present due to a new, serious injury suffered on Monday 24 February during a training session in Andorra. Marco Bezzecchi, Martin’s teammate at Aprilia, wasted no time in launching a dig at Marc Marquez, the six-time world champion now riding for the Ducati Lenovo Team. “Marc should feel lucky that Jorge is not here,” Bezzecchi told reporters, “without him, it will be a race with less pressure for everyone in front.” A provocation that turns the spotlight on a season that is already shaping up to be incandescent.

The news of Martin’s absence came as a bolt from the blue. After a first accident in the Sepang tests on February 5, where he fractured his right hand and left foot, the “Martinator” seemed to be on the road to recovery. However, a second, even more serious injury struck him this week: a fall caused him a complex fracture of the left distal radius, the carpal scaphoid and the pyramidal bone, as well as an injury to the left heel. The surgery, performed on Tuesday February 25 in Barcelona, ​​was successful, but the recovery time remains uncertain. Aprilia has already announced that Lorenzo Savadori will take his place in Thailand, but the absence of the reigning champion is a hard blow for the team and for the spectacle of the inaugural race.

Bezzecchi, who finished the Buriram pre-season tests in third place with a time of 1:29.733, did not hide his satisfaction with the work done with the new 2025 RS-GP. During the tests, the Italian demonstrated a solid race pace and speed that put him among the contenders for the podium. His dig at Marquez, however, goes beyond simple rivalry on the track: it is a sign of the faith that Bezzecchi has in his abilities and those of his bike, but also an indirect recognition of Martin’s talent. “Jorge is someone who, when he is in form, shifts the balance,” he added, implying that without his teammate, the battlefield could be more favorable for him and the other protagonists.

Marc Marquez, meanwhile, arrives in Thailand as one of the favourites. During the Buriram test, the #93 dominated with a best time of 1:28.855, just shy of the track record, and impressed with a 23-lap race simulation that showed off his consistency. Now on a factory Ducati GP25, Marquez seems to have found an immediate connection with the bike that has dominated 2024. His history with the Thai circuit is impressive: he won here in 2018 and 2019, and his aggressive style is perfectly suited to the slow corners and fast straights of Buriram. Yet Bezzecchi’s comment seems to be playing down that supremacy, suggesting that without Martin, the race could be less close than Marquez expects.

The context of this rivalry is made all the more interesting by the recent past. Martin, winner of the 2024 title with Ducati, was considered one of Marquez’s main rivals for 2025. His move to Aprilia had raised hopes of an epic duel between the two, but now that confrontation has been postponed. Bezzecchi, who knows Marquez well from their clashes on the track—such as the controversial one in Valencia 2023—knows how dangerous the Spaniard can be, but he doesn’t seem intimidated. “Marc is Marc, always fast,” he said, “but we also have what it takes to cause him problems.” The Italian, coming off an up-and-down season with VR46, seems to have found a new dimension in Aprilia, and Martin’s withdrawal offers him a unique opportunity to emerge as the team’s leader in this first outing.

Meanwhile, the paddock is keeping a close eye on the other contenders. Francesco Bagnaia, Marquez’s Ducati teammate, finished the test in fifth place and remains a real threat, despite a more cautious approach on the test days. KTM’s Pedro Acosta and Honda’s Joan Mir surprised with promising sprint simulations, while Aprilia is relying on Bezzecchi to fly the flag in Martin’s absence. The Thai race, with its scorching climate and challenging track, will be a test for everyone, but without the reigning champion, the script could be less unpredictable.

Bezzecchi’s warning to Marquez, therefore, is not just a provocation, but an invitation not to take anything for granted. While Martin fights to get back on the bike, the rider from Romagna is ready to take advantage of every opportunity to demonstrate his worth. MotoGP 2025 begins with a heavy absence, but it already promises sparks: Marquez has been warned, and Bezzecchi has no intention of remaining in the shadows.