Marc Marquez disadvantage? Claims of a key change to GP23

The final four rounds of the 2024 MotoGP season begin this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, though Marc Marquez and the rest of the GP23s face a disadvantage.

Marquez’s engine on his Gresini-run GP23 expired in spectacular fashion during the Indonesian GP at Mandalika almost three weeks ago.

While no official explanation has been presented by Ducati as to why the engine expired, reports first from The Race, and now Gazzetta dello Sport, have pinned the blame on a flywheel.

A new flywheel was installed on the engine of the GP23 sometime in recent rounds in a bid to make the motor smoother.

The engine braking characteristics of the GP23 have caused problems for the likes of Marco Bezzecchi this year, with the Italian unable to utilise his strength in braking while then also suffering from understeer in the corners.

This improvement to the bike coincided with an upturn in form for Bezzecchi in the second half of the season, with top six results in every GP since Aragon - including a best of fourth at the Emilia Romagna round.

Marquez, of course, has won two grands prix in the second half of the season.

After his engine failure in Indonesia, it is thought Ducati reverted to the previous flywheel set-up it had used out of fear for the new one being the cause of blow-up.

While it didn’t seem to dent Marquez’s competitiveness at the Japanese GP, with the Gresini rider on the podium in both races, the next best GP23 was Bezzecchi in a distant seventh - over 15 seconds away from the Gresini rider.

According to the official engine allocation sheet provided by Dorna Sports, Marquez has lost two engines of the seven he is allowed to use right now.

Because the 2024 calendar published prior to the start of the first race featured 21 rounds, an eighth engine will be available to Marquez and the rest of the non-concession riders - but not until the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Both VR46 riders are in the same position, though Bezzecchi has only lost one engine from his allocation compared to Fabio Di Giannantonio’s two.

Alex Marquez has also lost two engines from his allocation.