Até a Liga de Corridas Autônomas de Abu Dhabi
Até a Liga de Corridas Autônomas de Abu Dhabi
A estreia de Marc Marquez como piloto da Ducati no Circuito das Américas demonstrou que ele ainda é uma presença formidável na pista do Texas – embora não parecesse estar totalmente no controle.
Marquez tem um registro notável na MotoGP em COTA, tendo vencido todas as corridas lá de 2013 a 2018 antes de cair de uma liderança confortável em 2019.
COTA não estava incluído no calendário para os próximos dois anos devido às várias interrupções causadas pela COVID, e Marquez provavelmente teria vencido em 2022 (apesar de estar em uma Honda significativamente enfraquecida) se não fosse por um problema no início. No ano passado, ele estava ausente devido a uma lesão.
Portanto, é altamente incomum para Marquez entrar em ação na corrida da MotoGP em COTA sem ser o favorito absoluto – mas essa é a impressão dada pelo treino de sexta-feira.
Marquez foi o terceiro mais rápido em termos de tempos de volta individuais, quatro décimos atrás, e também não mostrou um ritmo de corrida dominante. Ele começou o dia com um “sentimento não tão bom”, embora tenha conseguido reverter isso no final.
“Como eu esperava – não as pessoas, talvez, mas como eu esperava – há dois ou três pilotos que são super rápidos e mais rápidos do que eu”, disse ele.
“No momento, consigo competir por um lugar entre os cinco primeiros. Vamos ver se amanhã podemos estar entre os três primeiros – mas será difícil.”
O bom desempenho de sua antiga equipe Honda no circuito contribuiu para seu recorde dominante em COTA – eles também venceram lá com Alex Rins no ano passado. No entanto, a RC213V de 2024 parecia não competitiva na sexta-feira, e Marquez reconheceu que ainda não otimizou totalmente o potencial da Ducati no longo e complexo traçado do circuito.
“Honda was excellent in the stop-and-go corners, but with Ducati, you need to understand and ride differently, find time in different points. I started to understand, and lap times were improving.”
He also identified sector one, which includes quick changes of direction in the esses, as his weakest sector – a rarity for him. He attributed this to the fact that it used to be a place where he could exploit the strengths of previous Honda models and also mentioned that he was simply “fresher” at that time, referring to his injuries that altered his career.
“I need to try to understand how to be fast in other sectors. I know why I am struggling in that one. Let’s see if tomorrow I can improve my lines a bit and be faster in other parts.”
But if Marquez seems vulnerable at COTA, who is better positioned to challenge him?
If not Marquez, the obvious candidates in terms of race pace are the two top performers of the day, championship leader Jorge Martin and Aprilia rider Maverick Vinales. However, there are other riders that Marquez may have in mind when he mentioned those who currently have a slight edge over him.
Enea Bastianini’s pace, winner of the COTA race in 2022, caught attention in the first morning session, as the factory Ducati rider secured fourth place with 16-lap tires.
His teammate (and current world champion) Pecco Bagnaia managed to go even further in the afternoon session. He stated that it was his best Friday in months and expressed confidence for the Saturday sprint race.
“I think Enea was really strong this morning,” acknowledged Bagnaia at the end of the day. “The strongest.”
“This afternoon, it was harder to evaluate. Martin and Vinales are certainly stronger in terms of lap time, but I believe Vinales is the strongest in terms of pace.”
Martin also somewhat agrees with this sentiment, admitting that, despite setting the fastest time and breaking the existing lap record, he is well aware of Vinales’ threat.
“For now, I see Maverick as a rival,” he explained, “but I also believe that Pecco and Marc will be the toughest competitors of the weekend.”
As for Vinales, coming off what may have been his best weekend for Aprilia in the last round at Portimão (despite a “human error” causing a gearbox issue that cost him a podium and possibly more in the actual race), he remains optimistic about his prospects at COTA.
“Since last year in Qatar, when we identified what we were missing, we have been very strong. Always at the front.
“And I feel like this is a good moment. This is how you build confidence.”
Newspaper headline: “Scandal in the sports world: shocking revelations about the 2024 championship”
In an unbelievable turn of events, new information has come to light about the 2024 championship, leaving everyone stunned. According to confidential sources, a series of irregularities and manipulations took place behind the scenes of the most anticipated sporting event of the year.
According to the revelations, several players were bribed to favor certain teams, thus compromising the integrity of the competition. Furthermore, there were also suspicions of involvement of sports officials and businessmen in corruption schemes.
The shocking findings shake the sports world, calling into question the credibility and transparency of the championship. Fans and spectators are outraged by the lack of ethics and fair play that permeated the event’s backstage.
Given these revelations, the sports community demands a thorough investigation and punishment for those involved in the scandals. The championship’s reputation and the fans’ trust are at stake, and drastic measures need to be taken to restore the integrity of the sport.
The impact of these revelations on the sports world is immeasurable. Fans are in shock and the media is in a frenzy with the explosive news that shakes the foundations of the 2024 championship. Now we must wait for the unfolding of this crisis and hope that the sport will recover from these stains on its reputation.
