The Spaniard, on his first outing with the red Borgo Panigale of Team Gresini with which he will race next year, was fast (fourth fastest overall) but also visibly happy and relaxed. And now, in the balance of power, a great challenge is opening up
– Milan
The climatic conditions, cold and wind, of the MotoGP tests in Valencia had an impact on the times, which were not excellent, but nevertheless significant in terms of the ranking. The news is the great competitiveness immediately demonstrated by Marc Marquez on the Team Gresini Ducati. It is not true that this was a given. In the same “round” of Borgo Panigale there was no shortage of those who were already predicting the flop of the new combination. The stopwatch, as we know, doesn’t lie. Marc Marquez closed the test with the fourth fastest time, 171 thousandths behind the leader Vinales on Aprilia (1’29″253), already on pole on Saturday in 1’28.931, above all 185/1000 thousandths from his best time on Saturday, in qualifying, on the Honda he knew like the back of his hand. There were 49 laps that make it clear that in 2024 Marc Marquez can change the balance of power in MotoGP.
relaxed
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It will be really difficult, beyond the official declarations, that this will not have consequences also, or above all, in Ducati, the dominating manufacturer of the last two seasons, with Pecco Bagnaia. For the first time, after at least three years, Marquez found a smile again in the garage, always serene and relaxed, another person and another rider. He did not comment, because these were the agreements with Honda that allowed him to test the Desmosedici already in Valencia, despite a contract that ties him to the Golden Wing manufacturer until the end of this year. Above all, Marquez was convincing on the track, demonstrating an immediate feeling with the Ducati. He was not at all obvious. The Ducati MotoGP has the same configuration as the Honda engine, but with very different power delivery and, above all, very different chassis and aerodynamic configuration. Bagnaia brought the 2024 configuration bikes to the track. Team Gresini (and Team VR46) specifically used two 2023 and one 2024 bikes. Marc Marquez rode, as per contract, with the 2023, i.e. the same bike, excellent, already used this year by Zarco. In particular, in addition to the power delivery, Marquez expressed satisfaction at having rediscovered the feeling at the front, with the front tire no longer “adversary” and “traitor”.
in the game
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In short, it is clear that in 2024 Marquez will be in the game. This, on the one hand, galvanizes expectations for a new season that will be fiery to say the least, but on the other, it opens up questions about how the champion from Cervera (31 years old on February 17th) can be managed without destabilizing the current Ducati situation which in the last two two seasons he brought with Bagnaia the two extraordinary world titles. Officially, and by contract, in 2024 Marc is a “private” driver. This means that he will have the 2023 Ducati at his disposal without, if not marginal, updates. Will he really be like this? To complicate things, there is also the regulatory issue: each driver has 7-8 engines at his disposal, which must be stamped at the beginning of the season. This means the engine is frozen on a mechanical and technical level while there is full freedom on the fundamental fronts of electronics, chassis and aerodynamics. If Marc is immediately in the 2024 world championship game, Borgo Panigale will have no choice but to support the Spanish champion with developments in electronics, chassis and aerodynamics, which are fundamental for riding, for lap times, for the final result of races and the championship. Marquez will certainly demand the best and Ducati, if the track immediately agrees with the new member of Team Gresini, will have no choice but to support him. The facts will indicate the path to take for Borgo Panigale too. A new challenge for Marquez, for Team Gresini, who must be acknowledged for having accepted it in a big way, above all a new challenge for Ducati as a whole.
the team principal speaks
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On the day of testing in Valencia, the Ducati team principal Gigi Dall’Igna he didn’t hold back on the “Marquez question”: “Officially Ducati didn’t want Marc Marquez”. But this doesn’t mean that when the Gresini team decided to take him anyway, Ducati wasn’t happy. “For us it is an absolute honor that Marc wanted our Desmosedici – said Dall’Igna – for me all the riders are the same and I listen to them all. It is clear that some harmony problems could arise, but we know how to manage these things and we will see if and how to do it when there is a need. Almost all the riders who have ridden on it have won with the Desmosedici, so we will also be able to meet Marc’s needs. What will we improve on? This year at the end of the season we have had some stability problems on the front, so that will be one of the issues. The riders are asking, as always, for more agility, more speed, more of everything.” Will Marquez’s arrival on a Ducati change anything for Bagnaia? Dall’Igna he has no doubts: “Not much will change for Pecco with the arrival of Marquez, he just has to think about winning again as he has shown he can do and therefore becoming three-time world champion. We will do the best for each of our riders, as we demonstrated this year with Jorge Martin, who had exactly all the support from Ducati. We did an extraordinary job, not just Pecco or the official team, but everyone really.” One thing is certain, Marc Marquez will make himself heard.
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