Marc Marquez made clear on Thursday in Mandalika his intentions by staying away from Jorge Martin's title quest this season, saying he would offer no advice to his fellow Spaniard in the race for the 2024 MotoGP championship. As the Asian tour begins with the Indonesian Grand Prix this weekend, Martin leads the championship by 24 points after finishing second at Misano last week.
Marc Marquez, currently fourth in the overall standings, remains an outsider in the title fight despite his solid performances this season. Asked about the pressure of managing a championnat at this stage of the season, Marquez said : " In my opinion, I have already achieved my goals for this season. So, continuing to enjoy it will be the key.. »
Last year, Marquez had supported Martin in his race for the title, believing that the driver Pramac didn't have the pressure of expectations as a satellite team rider. But this year, the tone is different. In his debriefing in Spanish after the press conference in Mandalika, Marquez made his position clear when asked if he had any advice for Martin : " I'm not going to give him any advice. “, he said. " According to you, I'm still in the fight. I am not going to give advice to rivals who are on the track or to future rivals. »
Marc Marquez: “ Martin is a current rival and will be one in the future. So why should I give advice to my rival? »
Marquez stressed that he saw no reason to share strategic advice with someone he considers an opponent, not only for this season, but also for years to come: " I don't think about winning the title this year, but Martin is a current rival and will be in the future. So why should I give advice to my rival? I'll give them to my brother and that's it. »
Although Marc Marquez has experienced difficulties in MotoGP on the circuit of Mandalika in the past – with a crash in warm-up in 2022 and a retirement last year – he remains optimistic about his chances this weekend. His goal is clear: aim for the top five with his Ducati GP5. It will be interesting to understand where we are here. ", said pilot Gresini. It's true that last year... well, I have never finished a race here in Indonesia. It is time to understand our level here and the goal will be to be again in the first four or five »
Marc Marquez, who enjoys the challenge of Mandalika without considering it as one of his favorite circuits, is ready to test his skills on this demanding track. It’s a circuit that I like. It’s not one of my favourites, but it’s a circuit that I like, and I’m looking forward to discovering it with the Ducati.i", he concluded, specifying: " here in Indonesia, we feel like rock stars, they are passionate and MotoGP is popular, it's nice to see all these people supporting me. I hope to give them joy ».
