RiderTua.com – Debut in MotoGP with Ducati started with 4th position for Marc Marquez. In Losail there was a direct duel with rookie Pedro Acosta.
There was curiosity at the start of the MotoGP championship, several fans observed how Marc Marquez would perform, who moved to Ducati Gresini after eleven seasons with Honda. With the most powerful motorbike on the grid, namely the Desmosedici, he immediately became the spotlight, even though he still had to know more about the Desmosedici. But what is clear is that throughout 2024 he will have to face the factory-spec GP24 which is clearly superior to his 2023 version.
Marc Marquez : Pedro Acosta is very aggressive
Marc Marquez started sixth, finished fifth in the Sprint, and fourth in Sunday’s race held in Qatar in the evening. For once he seemed content with finishing close to the podium, just one second behind third-place Jorge Martin. However, everyone is sure that he will be able to increase his level in the next series, look for new limits and even compete for victory. A more than positive debut on the Losail circuit, he finally found the smile that had been missing in the last four years. After a brief battle with the aggressive Pedro Acosta, the #93 tried not to lose the slipstream to Martin in pursuit of third place. With three laps remaining, he ran out of rear tires and tried to play it safe while waiting for the next round at Portimao which was scheduled in less than two weeks.
His first race with Ducati emphasized that he must further optimize his racing style if he wants to aim for the top of the MotoGP standings. Tire management is fundamental in the final stages to fight with the best in the class. However, step by step he started to shave off 0.1 seconds here and 0.1 seconds there. Marc said that actually in the last ten laps he started to attack, but he preferred to give up some points and try to improve again in Portimao, he said.
Marc never stops aiming for the podium, he has the speed to do it, but the front of his GP23 risks being a problem in the end. He also has to do so in the face of increasingly tough and fierce competition, which is not only limited to Bagnaia and Martin alone. Pedro Acosta even immediately became aggressive against him. “Acosta was very aggressive towards me, he is still learning, I hope he succeeds,” he said.
