The first day of the “PT Grand Prix of Thailand 2024,” hosted by Thailand, began with a burst of excitement on Friday, October 25.
Regarded as the fastest and most prestigious motorcycle racing event globally, the event runs from October 25-27, 2024, at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram.
It is the most significant world-class sporting event ever held in Thailand, attracting an audience of over 800 million viewers from 220 countries.
The atmosphere on the first day was electric as riders arrived early at the circuit for the official practice sessions.
The qualifying rounds to establish the starting positions occur on Saturday morning, October 26, with the Sprint Race following in the afternoon.
The climax of the event is on Sunday, October 27, starting with the Moto3 race at 1:15 pm, followed by Moto2 at 2:05 pm, and culminating with the MotoGP race at 3 pm.
From Friday morning, fans from both Thailand and around the globe began converging at the circuit. The air buzzed with excitement, and hundreds of “Shuttle E-Tans,” a distinctive Buriram transport service, were on standby to welcome international tourists.
Fans who arrived early had the opportunity to meet and greet star riders, take photos, get autographs, and collect souvenirs near the paddock area before the fierce competition got underway. Over 200,000 attendees are expected throughout the three-day event.
Among the attractions was a special appearance by the pink-cheeked pygmy hippopotamus “Moodeng,” delighting fans near the riders’ pits.
An exclusive MotoGP Thailand fan shirt is available, limited to only 20 pieces worldwide.
Winners will be chosen randomly based on the numbers on the back of their Allticket system tickets, with results to be announced on November 4, 2024, on the Chang Circuit Buriram page.
Practice sessions were essential in determining the top 10 riders for the Q1 and Q2 qualifying rounds.
Marc Marquez, an eight-time world champion from Gresini Racing, topped the MotoGP category and set a new record at the Chang International Circuit with a lap time of 1 minute, 29.165 seconds, just edging out Jorge Martin from Prima Pramac Racing by 0.110 seconds.
In the Moto2 category, Aaron Canet from Fantic Racing also broke the circuit record with a lap time of 1 minute, 35.192 seconds.
Despite not being fully fit, Thai favorite Somkiat Chantra from Idemitsu Honda Team Asia 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 the Moto3 category, newly crowned world champion David Alonso from the CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team led with a lap time of 1 minute, 40.703 seconds.
