Marc Marquez expressed his excitement about his new venture with Gresini Ducati in 2024, but admitted he feels something is missing in his quest for the MotoGP title.
The Spanish rider had a strong start outside of the Honda team, securing five podiums in the first five races and currently holding third place in the standings.
During the recent French Grand Prix, Marquez had a disappointing qualifying session, starting in 13th place and failing to reach Q2. However, he managed to recover and finish in second place in both races.
Francesco Bagnaia believes the top three finishers in Le Mans (himself, Jorge Martin, and Marquez) are the main contenders for the title, but Marquez, who has won the championship eight times, disagrees.
“I’m just having fun. You can see it on my face,” he said in an interview for MotoGP’s After the Flag. “You can feel the relaxed atmosphere within the team.
“We started in 13th place, but there was no panic. We know that to compete for a championship, we need to be on the same level as Martin and Pecco.
“They are always at the top during practice sessions. However, we are still… for example, this weekend we learned something on Friday afternoon, realized we made a wrong decision on the bike setup.
“So, we learn for the future. But we still need to understand that we are missing something to compete for the championship.
“But personally, I am extremely happy to be competing with the two best Ducati riders.”
Ducati will soon make the crucial decision of who will take the factory seat and become Bagnaia’s teammate for the 2025 season, as the current double world champion.
Speaking to Sky Italy after the race in France, Marquez revealed that he doesn’t care where he ends up, as long as he is given a factory specification bike for the next season.
“When I made that decision, I knew that Ducati had the strongest bike,” he said about leaving Honda.
“I chose to race with the strongest bike and see what I was capable of, because I even had doubts if I was finished or not.
“Now, I am competitive. Being like this, of course next year I want to try to have the latest evolution, regardless of the color or brand of the bike.
“Because having more opportunities gives you a better chance to fight for the world championship. But I have a clear plan in mind.”
