The Dutch Grand Prix started with Pecco Bagnaia dominating both free practice sessions, showing a dry lap and an unmatchable pace. Only Marc Marquez seemed able to get close in the first session at Assen, where he left with the same good feelings as three weeks ago.
The Gresini team rider appeared to be in more difficulty in the afternoon session, which was decisive for Q2, which he however managed directly to sixth position: “The sensations on Friday were quite good, especially in the morning. I felt good straight away, as if we hadn’t stayed for three weeks. It’s true that I struggled a little more in the afternoon, I think we know why, but we’ll confirm it tomorrow.”
“There are two riders who are ahead of everyone, one actually two steps ahead, and that is Pecco Bagnaia. The other is Maverick Vinales, then there are some of us who are quite similar. When you enter the positive spiral of trust, everything is fine. You come from two consecutive victories and you arrive on a track where you won last year, which you like and which you also have tattooed… Without a doubt Pecco is in a positive spiral, everything is coming out and is going very fast. We have to endure and learn from what he is doing,” explained the multiple world champion when speaking about Bagnaia, currently the man to beat in Assen.
However, the track seems to be the least interesting topic of discussion of the weekend, because the topic of the day concerns the market. Just today the official announcement of Pramac’s farewell to Ducati arrived. Paolo Campinoti’s team has decided to embrace Yamaha’s project and will have two M1s at its disposal from 2025, depriving the Borgo Panigale manufacturer of two Desmosedicis on the track.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
One of these two Ducatis was the one intended for Marc Marquez next year, but his refusal to move from Gresini to Pramac has shocked the market. The eight-time world champion, however, is keen to point out that he was not the trigger for Campinoti’s decision. “Point number 1: I don’t feel guilty for Pramac’s farewell to Ducati, because I didn’t do anything,” he explained.
“It is true that, as a Ducati rider, I would have preferred Pramac to stay, because we would have had two more Desmosedicis on the track and more information because it is an important team within the brand. As a MotoGP fan I think it is good news. Selfishly, I prefer two more Ducatis on the track, but as a fan it was a normal step to think that one of the Ducati teams would go with Yamaha. For the championship it is better to have four Japanese bikes, two less Italian ones… Less single-brand opens more options to other manufacturers, riders, sponsors…”, added the rider from Cervera.
Ducati will therefore have six bikes available in 2025 and one of the updated ones will be that of Marc, who however has to be patient a little longer, having the GP23 with Gresini: “I have the same bike as Alex (Marquez, ed), Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio, which is last year’s. It’s a bike that rides very well, I don’t know how much better or worse than the 2024 because I haven’t tried it. But you know, there are the GP24s which are those of Pramac and the official team, and the GP23s, which are those of VR46 and Gresini. I feel very good with the bike and I have shown, like other riders, that I go fast.”
“They brought me an improvement, you can’t know what, but it’s the same one they brought to the others. Ducati has a policy that is difficult to understand as a rider, because as a rider you always want more. But for the manufacturer it’s the right policy. That is, when a 2023 bike receives something new, it also reaches everyone else. I think it’s the right policy for the project, no matter how far ahead you are in the standings, you don’t have more benefits than others,” he explained.
Ducati’s policy receives the approval of the multiple world champion, who knew right from the start what conditions he would find upon his arrival at Borgo Panigale: “It’s one of the issues on which Gigi was most honest last year when I talked about going in Ducati. If I had fought with other Ducatis I would have had the same treatment, but in case I had fought with other brands, I would have had more improvements. Now I’m fighting with other Ducatis, my bike is fine and I have no complaints, because what we agreed is happening.”
#MotoGP #Marquez #dont #feel #guilty #Pramacs #farewell #Ducati