Buriram heats up as the MotoGP World Championship takes centre stage
The first day of the MotoGP World Championship, the "PT Grand Prix of Thailand 2024," hosted by Thailand, kicked off with excitement on Friday ( October 25 ).
This is the fastest and most prestigious motorcycle racing event globally, held from October 25-27, 2024, at Chang International Circuit in Buriram. It is the largest world-class sporting event ever organized in Thailand, with an audience of over 800 million viewers from 220 countries.
The first day's atmosphere was lively, with riders entering the circuit early for official practice.
The qualifying rounds to determine starting positions will take place on Saturday morning, October 26, followed by the Sprint Race in the afternoon.
The finals are set for Sunday, October 27, starting with Moto3 at 1.15pm, Moto2 at 2.05pm, and MotoGP at 3pm.
MotoGP fans from Thailand and abroad began arriving at the circuit from Friday morning. The excitement was palpable with hundreds of “Shuttle E-Tans,” a unique Buriram transport service, ready to welcome tourists from around the world.
Early-arriving fans were able to enjoy a meet-and-greet with the star riders, taking photos, receiving autographs, and getting souvenirs near the paddock before the intense competition begins. Over 200,000 attendees are expected across the three-day event.
A special four-legged superstar, the pink-cheeked pygmy hippopotamus "Moodeng," also entertained fans around the riders' pits.
This limited-edition shirt is exclusively for MotoGP Thailand fan, with only 20 pieces available worldwide. Winners will be randomly selected based on the numbers on the back of their Allticket system tickets. The results will be announced on November 4, 2024, on the Chang Circuit Buriram page.
Practice sessions were crucial for determining the top 10 riders to split into Q1 and Q2 qualifying rounds.
Eight-time world champion Marc Marquez from Gresini Racing topped the MotoGP category and broke the Chang International Circuit record with a lap time of 1 minute, 29.165 seconds, narrowly beating Jorge Martin from Prima Pramac Racing by 0.110 seconds.
In Moto2, Aaron Canet from Fantic Racing also set a new circuit record, completing a lap in 1 minute, 35.192 seconds. Thai favorite Somkiat Chantra from Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, although not fully fit, was medically cleared to race and finished 14th with a lap time of 1 minute, 35.916 seconds, 0.724 seconds behind the leader.
In Moto3, newly crowned world champion David Alonso from CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team led the pack with a lap time of 1 minute, 40.703 seconds.
