MotoGP Thai Grand Prix: Rain expected to shake up Sunday race

The season has not even started and we have already seen plenty of drama ahead of the Thai Grand Prix. Along with a mill of rumours surrounding many of the riders and their potential switches for 2027, there has also been plenty to talk about on-track.

The pre-season testing phase ended after an initial shakedown test in Sepang followed by a full test at the same circuit a week later. Then another test, this time at the Buriram track in Thailand was undertaken last weekend.

It has largely been a hot an intense atmosphere around the paddock, and that looks set to continue for the majority of the week. However, there is a small threat of rain on Sunday which is expected to be noticeably more overcast and unpredictable than Friday or Saturday.

While the cooler temperatures could certainly bring some relief for riders and tyres alike, even a light shower could cause complete pandemonium on race day.

Although temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s (celsius) rather than the low 30s, a threat of rain between 13:00-19:00 on Sunday is a very real one, with some forecasts even predicting as much as 1mm rainfall during the afternoon.

By conventional standards it may not seem like a lot, but to a worn MotoGP tyre, 1 full milimeter of rain could easily be enough to force a wet weather tyre change.

Last year, the only wet weather drama was at the French Grand Prix in Le Mans in which Johann Zarco took a surprising and historic win.