Marc Marquez: ‘I will insist with Ducati to continue the progression…’
Marc Marquez says his determination to succeed with Ducati will make him push Gresini throughout the 2024 MotoGP season.
Marc Marquez sent another strong message at the Sepang MotoGP test, as his race simulations were very competitive.
Pace over one lap still needs to be improved in order to battle the likes of Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and team-mate Alex Marquez, but the eight-time world champion has already adapted to his Desmosedici GP23 bike very quickly.
Speaking after day-three of the Sepang test, Marquez told MotoGP.com: “We worked a lot during these three days, but step-by-step was the key point.
“I never panicked, I was never nervous, I was just working in the garage. I knew that the first and second day I was P19 or 20th position many times but I was super calm.
“I was just trying to understand the bike. In Valencia it was a bit easier and as I expected it was a bit harder here because it’s one of the circuits on the calendar for me.
“For some reason I have always been slow here, but apart from that the progression was good.
“Yesterday [day-two] the pace was not bad and I did the long run - sprint race simulation of ten laps - but today the most positive thing is that I was able to understand how to take profit from the new tyre and I was faster on both tyres. This was important.
“I’m still far from the top guys because half a second is a lot. But it is not bad. I did another sprint simulation which was good but you need to understand the time you did it and when others did it.
“For example, some did it with higher track temperatures which means you are slower. But the most important thing for me is that the feeling was good.”
Where Marquez shined the most was his sprint race simulations, which took place on days two and three.
The plan was to do a first simulation on the second day but not the third, however, Marquez pushed Gresini to change they’re plan and says he will continue to push them when it comes to using his methods.
Marquez added: “The sprint race simulation was not on the plan but I wanted to do it to try and ‘play’ with the bike. Try to change lines, understand the gas and be more free. To be more free you need laps.
“I was tired but even like this I wanted to do it even if I was slower. But it is the way to improve.
“Staying in the garage you will never improve. You need laps. I will insist in the future to continue the progression.
“It will not be easy and it’s true that with Honda that in two runs I was already at the limit. With this bike it takes more time to understand.”
