MotoGP | Marquez: “With the Ducati I don't look for the slipstream, I have to understand it”

Friday of the Qatar Grand Prix was certainly bizarre, characterized by desert rain that tried to steal the show from Marc Marquez. It's difficult to distract attention from the eight-time world champion, who despite the particular conditions, under the lights of Lusail set the best time in what was a second session that was not decisive for Q2 (details here).

With the best time in FP2, the Gresini team rider ended Friday in fourth position in the combined standings. A good start, if you consider that he is still learning to familiarize himself with the Ducati. New season, new bike, new adventure… But same determination: “I'm happy because what we were looking for was a solid day, without mistakes… To start the weekend well. I tried the Ducati for the first time in the wet and we got along well, but the important thing was that in the dry the feeling with the bike was the same as in the tests.”

“We struggle in the same places and are strong in the same areas. I struggle a bit in fast corners, but that's normal. On a bike you don't yet have 100% confidence with, you struggle. I'm doing well under braking, which is the strong point of my driving style. There are still four or five riders faster than us, we'll see tomorrow. It will be a tough day, the main objective is to get directly into Q2 and, if we succeed, do a good lap in qualifying because it will condition the weekend”, explains Marc to the press microphones at the end of free practice on Friday.

There is a lot of work to do to reach the levels of competitiveness he aspires to, but Marquez has never stopped studying since he tried the Ducati for the first time in Valencia. The focus is above all on the riding style, which is totally different from what he was used to: “Today, in FP1, when I went out together with many other riders, my Honda style came out. Then I realized it, I slowed down, I was alone on the track and I started my test. I did the same thing on the second run. I went out, I saw Martin, but I slowed down, I was alone and I continued to move forward, because with the Honda I was always looking for the slipstream, but now I have to work on myself and understand many things, so I ride alone.”

“Every day I feel more ready. Still not enough, but it's also true that I only won once in Qatar”, underlines the driver from Cervera. “This means that it is one of the tracks on which I struggle the most. Even so, I'm not far from the leading riders, but I want to see tomorrow. Today the day was a bit distorted, in FP1 Bagnaia wasn't pushing, many riders didn't give 100%. It was strange in the wet, tomorrow we'll see where we are.”

The winter tests were fundamental in learning to know the team and the bike, but the approach was also very important: “What I feel is that I am doing everything I know, everything I feel, to be better and better every day. Obviously I took the right steps during the pre-season, I was calm, I tried to avoid falls. The race weekend is a little different, the risk can increase.”

“At the moment I'm riding very smooth, but that's the only way I feel the bike. After 11 years with the same bike, get on another one and everything changes. All motorbikes have their secrets, for example Bagnaia and Martin know it well. They know very well when they have to do the time attack, but because they have only ridden the Ducati and have no confusion with other manufacturers,” he continues.

Due to the rain, the riders gathered in a meeting which resulted in the decision to change the format for this weekend. The decisive session for direct access to Q2 will be Saturday, but the Gresini driver does not agree with this choice: “We had a meeting and we voted. I voted to maintain the program because in the end, in my opinion, if they tell us to get on track, it's because it's safe. If the conditions are safe, a time attack can be done. If tomorrow we do free practice, qualifying and the Sprint it will be even worse. But I respect the decision that was made.”