Marc Marquez ‘never shows his full hand’ but ‘it hasn’t been easy as he hoped’

Marc Marquez’s adaption to the Ducati “hasn’t been as easy” as he might have wished for - but his testing times might be hiding his true performance.

Simon Crafar, ex-racer and now broadcaster inside the paddock, kept a watchful eye on Marquez’s first preseason as a Ducati rider and saw the difficulties of his switch from Honda.

His final lap times were not eye-catching in Sepang or Qatar but, ahead of this weekend’s season-opening Qatar MotoGP, there remains mystery about Marquez’s competitiveness.

“I really think it might not have been easy for him,” Crafar said about Marquez adapting to a new bike.

“I know that I put the word “sandbagging” out there. The reason I said that was because Marc never shows his full hand before the race! He doesn’t!

“In 2019, when he dominated, he was eighth in testing. Not showing his full hand.

“But I know it hasn’t been as easy, as I reckon he would’ve hoped.

“He’s over 30 years old. I’m not saying that’s too old. But at that age you struggle to adapt to motorcycles as quickly.

“More so than in your 20s, especially early-20s or mid-20s when you adapt quickly.

“You are more set in your ways. He’s had how many years on a Honda?

“It’s a totally different style and it has been hard for him to adjust.

“But he’s so good at race craft. When he gets out into the race, he finds a way to make it work.

“He’ll be there! He’s not a big fan of the circuit, whereas Aleix Espargaro is.

“Aleix will have a good one here, because he loves it, and the bike is strong here.

“Marc is the opposite. If he finishes top five or six he’ll be satisfied and on target.”

There are some considerations that Marquez might attack the first part of the season, knowing his Ducati rivals on the GP24 should get stronger as they learn about their new bike’s developments.

Gresini’s duo of the Marquez brothers, and the VR46 pair, will ride GP23s this year.

Marquez will know that his first chance for victory will come at his favourite circuits, Crafar insists.

“When there are race tracks which suit him? And he knows the bike better? He will be big trouble…”

Six-time MotoGP champion Marquez moved to Ducati to reinvigorate his hopes of a seventh title but, first, he must learn how to ride the bike that was used by last year’s title contenders.

Crafar explained: “The Ducati has more rear grip, and accelerates really well.

“So you have to use that to make the lap time.

“The Honda didn’t have that, and still doesn’t. So he had to make the lap time with the front, pushing so hard on entry.

“We’ve seen him fall so much because he pushes the front so hard.

“He said that when he rides naturally, and tries to go faster, he goes to that Honda style - he pushes the front too much, the rear suffers, meaning he doesn’t get everything out of it.

“Don’t do that! Use what the strengths are of the motorcycle.

“Don’t click back into your old way, when you push.

“That’s one thing that he’s fighting with.

“Also, you haven’t spent time on this motorcycle on different tracks.

“So you don’t really know the base setting yet.

“When he finds that? At a track he likes? He’ll be there fighting for the win, I’m sure.”