Marc Marquez concludes his debut MotoGP weekend as a Gresini Ducati rider with finishes of 5th and 4th place.
Marc Marquez emphasized that he did not feel frustrated despite narrowly missing out on a podium finish in the Qatar MotoGP by just one place and 1.5 seconds in Sunday’s grand prix.
The new Gresini Ducati rider addressed his opening lap weakness from Saturday, shadowing the leading trio for much of the 21 laps, with only a brief overtake from rookie Pedro Acosta.
Having learned from the consequences of an overly aggressive approach at last year’s Portimao opener, especially seen in Miguel Oliveira’s case, Marquez showcased a more measured performance on his new Desmosedici machinery.
Once again the top GP23 rider, Marquez completed a weekend without incidents, crossing the finish line behind Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), Brad Binder (KTM), and Jorge Martin (Ducati).
“Obviously, we pushed and aimed for the podium, but it wasn’t achievable,” said Marquez, who was the top satellite rider in both Qatar races, speaking to MotoGP.com.
“They had more pace than me. However, it’s not a source of frustration because, as I mentioned on Thursday, our position is 4th-5th-6th. Indeed, yesterday was 5th [in the Sprint], and today 4th.
“The podium was always within reach. Yet, it’s true that I still don’t feel completely comfortable riding as I’d like. Let’s see if we can make improvements for the upcoming races.”
During the grand prix, the former Repsol Honda rider spent a considerable amount of time staring at the rear wheel of Sprint winner Jorge Martin.
“He had a slight advantage over me on the corner exits,” Marquez disclosed. “I found myself struggling a bit more in that aspect compared to yesterday. However, I was stronger in other areas due to a small change we made on the bike. The team did an excellent job.”
Asked about Acosta’s standout performance, Marquez commended the teenager for his aggressive approach, even though it resulted in him ‘destroying’ his tires and eventually dropping to ninth.
“Today was about tire management, and if someone doesn’t handle their tires well and just goes all out, they can make it work,” Marquez explained.
“When he passed me, he was riding exceptionally well. He’s quite impressive for a rookie, but of course, I think he really pushed the limits of his tires!
“But that’s what he needs to do, push and learn from these experiences. It was a good showing.”
Marquez concluded the Qatar round fourth in the world championship standings, trailing reigning double champion Bagnaia by 13 points.
Let us know your thoughts in comments.
