Marc Marquez remarked, “Bagnaia crossed the line three seconds ahead, and as the reigning champion, he’s the one we should learn from.”
While expressing contentment with his fourth-place finish on his Gresini Ducati MotoGP debut in Qatar, Marc Marquez also identified the specific rider’s data he aimed to study ahead of the upcoming second round in Portimao.
The Spanish rider crossed the Lusail finish line as the leading GP23 competitor, 3.429 seconds behind factory Ducati’s reigning champion and race winner, Francesco Bagnaia, and 1.496 seconds adrift of Jorge Martin, who claimed the final podium position.
“I was in the mix for the podium. I nearly closed in on Martin. Nevertheless, it’s a positive outcome,” Marquez remarked. “If they had told me during the Valencia test that I’d finish fourth today, I would have taken it.”
“This circuit has never been one of my favorites, so securing fourth is satisfying,” he added.
“We’ll delve into the data now: Bagnaia finished three seconds ahead of us, and as the reigning champion, there’s much to learn from him to push ourselves further,” Marquez acknowledged.
Brad Binder from KTM joined Bagnaia and Martin on the podium in Qatar, securing second place.
The next best performer on the GP23 was Marc’s younger brother and teammate, Alex, who finished sixth, trailing the #93 by 3.362 seconds.
‘THEY ARE OUTPERFORMING ME ON THE TRACK’
While Marquez is on a bike that is only a year old, Bagnaia and Martin are on the latest factory-spec GP24. However, the eight-time world champion emphasizes that this is not the reason they surpassed him in Qatar.
“No. They are quicker. One is the reigning world champion, and the other finished second. They were considerably faster than the rest last season in the latter part of the year,” Marquez stated.
“So, I don’t attribute it solely to the GP24. I have my bike, I have my tools, and when I signed my contract, I knew exactly what I would be getting. The bike is performing well, but they are riding at a higher level than me.
“However, I’m sticking to my style. This year, I want to approach it with patience, rediscover the joy of racing, and aim for top 5 positions, which is what I achieved [in Qatar].
“Every day, I refine my riding technique, make small adjustments that make a difference, so I still believe I haven’t reached the bike’s limit yet.”
Marquez secured pole position and a Sprint podium while with Repsol Honda at Portimao last year, only to collide with Miguel Oliveira early in the grand prix, resulting in injuries for both.
Free practice for the 2024 event commences on Friday morning.
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