Jorge Lorenzo has inquired of Marc Marquez about the noticeable speed gap between himself and Jorge Martin at the Qatar MotoGP.
Jorge Martin is piloting the new and enhanced GP24 Ducati, whereas six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez is on last season’s championship-winning bike.
Yet, the contrast in top speed between the two Ducatis came as a minor surprise at the Qatar MotoGP.
However, the disparity wasn’t due to the difference in machinery. Instead, it was because Marquez was losing time on acceleration coming out of the final corner.
Keen to understand the reason for the speed gap, Lorenzo questioned Marquez after the race, stating: “I was quite surprised by the speed difference compared to Martin’s bike, which wasn’t apparent yesterday.
“However, today it was clear that you were lacking two or three tenths in terms of engine performance. I’m not sure what caused it.
“And then the straightforward question: what’s needed to secure victory? Did the track conditions also affect you? Especially here in Qatar, where you haven’t had many wins.”
Marquez had a straightforward response for his former rival, which had nothing to do with the bike’s capabilities.
Acknowledging that he rode the final corner better during the sprint, Marquez admitted his mistake.
“Yes, well, I’ve only managed to win once, back in 2014,” Marquez began in response to Lorenzo. “Qatar has always been a bit tricky for me, but my aim was to secure a top-five finish in both the sprint and the race.
“However, more than the engine’s lack of speed, it was my own mistake. I was not exiting the final turn well.
“In the sprint race, I managed it much better. We also made a minor adjustment to the bike, thinking it would be beneficial, but it turned out I wasn’t quite comfortable with it. This led to a loss in acceleration, which is crucial in these tight battles.
“I was gaining ground in other areas, but it didn’t quite balance out. So, we need to make a note of this for the upcoming races. But for now, what’s lacking is just that – lacking.
“I need to handle those fast corners better and also manage the front tire more effectively.
“I was perhaps wrestling a bit too much with the bike; in the sprint race, I felt more at ease. So, we’ll see if we can take all of this into account and learn from it.”
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