MotoGP to hold season launch in Bangkok ahead of 2025 Thailand opener

Dorna plans to organise a special launch event in Bangkok with all MotoGP teams ahead of the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix in 2025.

The initiative was discussed by teams in Aragon on Thursday in a meeting that was also attended by the representatives of the International Road Race Teams Association (IRTA). 

Individual teams and manufacturers usually prefer to stage their own standalone events, so Dorna is still working on centralising their efforts to a single event in the Thai capital.

Dorna had considered the possibility of a similar season launch last year in Morocco. The event never materialised, but the series’ promoter never gave up that idea.

While it will still take a few days for the Bangkok presentation to be made official, everything seems set for the event to take place on 9 or 10 February 2025, scheduled appropriately between the two pre-season tests in Asia.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, race start

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Motorsport.com understands that all of official pre-season testing will take place between Malaysia and Thailand next year.

Sepang will kick off proceedings with a so-called shakedown for rookies and concession teams between late January and early February. It will be followed by the first proper test on the Malaysian track during the second week of the month, with the tentative dates being 5-7 February.

The Thailand launch event will take place on 9/10 February, before the MotoGP fraternity remains in the country for the final pre-season test that is likely to be scheduled on 13-14 February.

The exact days for each of these sessions could vary by a day or two subject to logistics while the freight is carried by air.

The teams will then have two weeks to fine-tune their bikes before the new season starts in earnest at Buriram on 2 March.

The full schedule for 2025 is expected to be revealed in the coming days.

The planned Bangkok event followed MotoGP celebrating its 75th anniversary with special retro liveries at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix earlier this month.