KTM Chief Delivers Harsh Reality Check on Marc Marquez’s Ducati Competition
The KTM boss emphasizes that Marc Marquez won’t quickly rise to the top as Ducati’s lead rider.
The highly anticipated Qatar MotoGP marks Marquez’s debut with Gresini on Ducati this weekend. However, the riders expected to lead the pack are the trio on the GP24 – Francesco Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini, and Jorge Martin.
Marquez, still adapting to the GP23 after 11 years with Honda, presents an element of unpredictability.
“Marc is undoubtedly a talented rider now equipped with a formidable bike,” stated KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer to Sport1.
“This combination is formidable.
“I doubt he’ll immediately claim Ducati’s No.1 spot and drastically improve.
Beirer emphasized that Marquez “will face tough competition within his own team”.
He hailed Bagnaia as an “exceptional champion” and cautioned that Martin “is eager for success” after narrowly missing out on the 2023 title and a move to the factory team.
MARC MARQUEZ ‘MENTAL FORTITUDE’ HIGHLIGHTED AHEAD OF QATAR MOTOGP
However, Marquez has found support for his Ducati debut from Pol Espargaro.
Espargaro, who spent two challenging years as Marquez’s teammate at Repsol Honda during the eight-time world champion’s injury-plagued period, shared his thoughts with DAZN.
“If you ask Marc Marquez, he’ll tell you that he isn’t aiming solely for podiums and wins,” Espargaro stated.
“Marc Marquez is that rider who always believes he can win.
“This mentality is crucial in MotoGP.
“For many years, Marc has shown this, even on bikes that weren’t at the top level, where he always performed.
“He’s fought in races that seemed impossible to win.
“Therefore, Marquez knows, and I believe he’s confident, that victory is within reach.
“We’ll witness this excitement every race weekend.
“He’s got a lot to demonstrate, and we’ll see if it begins here in Qatar…”
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