Marc Marquez quizzed on fearsome Buriram long run
"I was calm, I was smooth, no mistakes"
If Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez started their Buriram MotoGP test long runs together and a chequered flag waved 13 laps later, the Aprilia rider would have ‘won’ a Sprint distance duel by just 0.324s.
The problem, for Bezzecchi and the rest of the MotoGP field, is that while the Italian then pitted, new factory Ducati rider Marquez continued for another ten laps!
In other words, Marquez matched Bezzecchi - who delivered the fastest of the Buriram Sprint simulations - despite carrying almost twice as much fuel and saving his tyres and physical energy for nearly double the distance.
The following graph shows how Marquez’s 23-lap 'GP' run was faster than Bezzecchi’s Sprint from lap 7.
Bezzecchi's consistency over his last six laps still bodes well for a GP run, but ultimately Marquez had a big margin over all other riders who approached the full 26-lap Grand Prix distance at the test.
Quizzed by MotoGP.com about how much of a warning that long run had sent to everybody else, Marquez replied:
“Of course, a race weekend is different. But that race simulation is one of the most important points because I was thinking to test my physical condition, to understand also this new bike, the [GP]24, in a race simulation.
“I was calm, I was smooth, no mistakes. The tyres were dropping, but in a constant way. So I was able to manage and… I cannot say nothing! Just looking forward to start the season.”
The big name missing from the Buriram race simulations was Marquez’s team-mate and double world champion Francesco Bagnaia, who was busy focusing on other duties.
Bagnaia's name was unsurprisingly first on a list of rivals given by Marquez, when asked who he thinks will be world champion in 2025.
“Of course, we will try to fight for it,” he said. “But I know that I have a very strong team-mate. I have a very strong housemate! My brother Alex, who was super fast during all the pre-season and finished second today.
“There will be different opponents… That can be Acosta. We will see how Martin can be with Aprilia. Don’t forget Martin, he’s a very good rider and Bezzecchi showed that Aprilia is working well.
“So we will try to do our job in our garage and let’s see what we can do.”
The season opening Thai Grand Prix starts with Free Practice next Friday.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
