MotoGP | Behind the scenes Marquez-Bagnaia: “Ducati different in the time attack”

The Sepang tests have now been over for over a week and in just three days it will be time to restart the engines in Qatar, where the last pre-season test and the inaugural race will take place, which will officially kick off the 2024 MotoGP While waiting for the two-wheel Circus to arrive in Lusail, the official website of the championship showed a very interesting behind the scenes look at the Malaysian trip.

This is a chat between Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, which took place while the two were waiting to meet journalists for the usual interviews at the end of the day. The reigning world champion and the eight-time world champion had met on the track and were commenting on the Cervera rider's adaptation to the Ducati, which after 11 years always riding a Honda is probably proving to be more complicated than the whole paddock would have expected.

Marc also confirmed to Pecco that his biggest problem at the moment is the time attack, because the Desmosedici GP requires a very different riding style than that of the RC213V. And in fact the Piedmontese did not hide the fact that he noticed that he still drives it very much “like a Honda”, however giving the feeling of being rather interested in the progress of the #93, which is inevitably one of the opponents circled in red for 2024 as well as to be one of the new brand companions.

Below, you can read the entire exchange in Italian between the two. The video can be found at the bottom of the article.

Bagnaia: “Is she tough?”
Marquez: “She is different!”.
Bagnaia: “I saw you, you're driving it like a Honda.”
Marquez: “I had a 22-lap tire there.”
Bagnaia: “You could see it” (and makes the spinning gesture)
Marquez: “I have to understand how to do the time attack: with the Honda you have to enter corners and accelerate very early, with the Ducati it's different.”
Bagnaia: “Yes, because it doesn't spin.”
Marquez: “It's easier on the pace.”
Bagnaia: “Yes, because in the end it is firmer, more stable, maybe it's just a little heavier.”
Marquez: “I don't feel it heavy anymore.”
Bagnaia: “When I saw the Honda, it seemed faster in changing direction.”
Marquez: “Yes, but it wasn't like that after putting the last aerodynamics on.”