“Those who talk about destroying, let them forget”

2024-02-07 13:14:52

“Things are going pretty well,” This is how Marc Márquez has summed up his second day of IRTA testing in Malaysia, a Wednesday in which the Cervera rider was the only Ducati unable to drop to 1:57, closing the door to the Gresini Racing box. with a 1:58.118 that has placed #93 in 14th position in the timing table, aware that there is still a lot of room for improvement with new tires.

Now without the problems he suffered yesterday on his Ducati, today Marc has done more laps than anyone else, a total of 72, making up for the time lost during the day on Tuesday. At the end, you have ensured “I’m quite happy with how today went, I’ve already been able to do laps, maybe too many, my pectoral has risen“, he acknowledged between laughs in his meeting with the media.

The man from Cervera even had time in the afternoon to simulate a sprint race, and the result was not bad at all: “In the afternoon, instead of doing the time attack, I wanted to do a run of ten laps in a row, to do a sprint race and understand the bike, which is what I need now. In terms of rhythm it’s not bad and it’s going quite well, but I still fail more than normal“.

The 30-year-old pilot does not hide that “At the time attack level it is what is costing me the most here, it is difficult for me to understand how to time. This is where it changes the most from what I was used to until now. At the pace level, with used tires there are many more laps and in the time attack there are only two. That’s where I have to understand a little more, little by little, with training and races, to see how to get the most out of the soft tire.”

In fact, his brother Álex already warned him this past winter that, with the Ducati, he had to work hard on the fast lap: “My brother told me today and he told me already in the winter, that what was most difficult for him was understanding the time attack. At the end of the season was when he started to be consistent in Q2, but at the beginning of the season he was out. That’s where I’ll try to improve,” csays Márquez who already plans to make at least two fast lap attempts on Thursday, “to understand where the limit is and how to get the most out of the rear tire, which is what is costing me the most. With the used tire I am at a similar level to the other Ducati and with the new tire it is where they get the most out of me” .

About his Desmosedici GP23, Marc has few criticisms; You assure that the Ducati, as it is now, “it’s going well,” and notes that “At the pace level I’m comfortable and better, well positioned. I’m still stiff, but it’s going well for me. The thing is that to get those tenths, all motorcycles have their secrets and that is the most difficult thing to achieve.“.

For Marc, seeing himself 14th today is not at all worrying, and he recalled that perhaps “The expectation is very high” about what some expect from him, making it clear that “At all times I am realistic and I am coming from the three or four most difficult years of my sporting career, where I have not performed at my highest level either, and I have to find confidence again.”

#93 insists on its message of caution: “Those who talk about destroying, let them forget. There will be races that finish tenth, others fifth and others that hopefully will be later, but there will be races in which you have to suffer,” says Márquez who wants to go “little by little.”“, taking his new stage at Ducati calmly.

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In fact, the eight-time world champion believes that what happened in the Valencia test in November – where he finished among the best – was nothing more than a mirage: “I expected this, what I didn’t expect was Valencia. That is not normal when you take a new motorcycle but this, very far in the time attack and closer in the race pace,” explains Marc Márquez who also issues a reminder: “We won’t return until October… and How many times has it happened that a driver has finished first here and then has not even made the podiums during the season. “That has happened many times, but that does not mean that it will be a season in which I have to gain confidence,” concludes the Catalan.