Marc Marquez reveals technical reversion that helped him to Barcelona MotoGP podium

Marc Marquez’s time with the Gresini Ducati team ended with a second place that was enough to clinch third in the riders’ standings.

It was a result which came despite Marquez’s own struggles at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya which were highlighted in Saturday’s Sprint, in which Marquez finished a distant seventh.

“Today was a difficult day, especially because yesterday was a difficult Sprint race,” Marquez told the post-race press conference in Barcelona.

He added that some technical changes to his bike setup were key to his improved performance on Sunday.

“But my technician was super-great through the night — he doesn’t sleep a lot I think.

“We analysed everything we did, and we come back more or less to the bike we started with in FP1. 

"Already in the Warm Up I start to feel better and in the race I was riding in my way.

“Of course, we had some weak points, but I was strong in my strong points, so that was super-positive.”

Marquez spent the entire race behind Francesco Bagnaia, closing in at several points but ultimately dropping back in the closing stages without having mounted a serious challenge for the lead.

“It was many laps behind Pecco, trying to control the situation,” Marquez explained. 

“But those last five laps I couldn’t follow him. Every time when I was close to him, the front started to lose a lot for the temperature.

“Today he was much faster than me. But that second place is the best ending to this very nice chapter in my career that was with the Gresini team where I enjoyed a lot and it’s the best way to say thanks.”