When Marc Marquez got on the Ducati in Valencia at the end of November 2023, it only took a furtive smile after the first wheels to consider that his new challenge was already won with the prospect of a ninth crown pointing to the horizon. Then came this year 2024 with its first deadline in the form of tests at Sepang. And there, everything appeared more vague, except for the person concerned who never underestimated what awaited him. Before flying to Qatar and reacquainting himself with his new Gresini team and his GP23, he left himself to a few confidences while looking at his national glories to seek support and encouragement. When he was convalescing, the tennis player Nadal was thus highlighted. Now back on the track, it's this Fernando Alonso who is at his side...
Marc Marquez had nevertheless assured him when leaving Sepang : he had everything under control: “ I never panicked, I was never nervous, I just worked in the cubicle » he mentioned. “ I knew that the first and second day I was 19th or 20th several times but I was super calm. I was just trying to understand the bike. In Valencia it was a little easier and as I expected it was a little harder here because it is one of the most difficult circuits on the calendar for me. For some reason I've always been slow here, but other than that, progress has been good ».
Since then, there has been a return home, to better debrief but also perhaps to think before returning to combat at Qatar. We thus read from Marc Marquez on GP One : " my latest experiences have made me understand that we must free ourselves from expectations. If you have achieved a lot in the past, people always expect that from you and instead you have to be realistic and chart a clear path to where you want to go ».
“Similar circumstances help us mature as athletes and as men.” And he specifies: “ 2023 was a year that led me to make decisions that I might regret in the future, but they were well thought out and not taken in the moment. Another aspect I had to learn », admitted the new pilot Ducati.
Marc Marquez: “ Fernando Alonso taught me not to underestimate your opponents, to be very tough with them, but with respect »
And it's not just him. There is also its new environment: « more than in Italian and Japanese cultures, the difference lies in being a factory team or a private team. As a factory team you have a lot of things to try. On the one hand, you have to understand the type of piloting. You have to be focused and very precise in your comments. This is the further development of the motorcycle. NOW, I'm in a different situation. I am now more focused on how I should ride myself. One is a factory team and Gresini is a private team – a family team. But if one wants to fight at the top, then the path is the same in both cases. Everything must be well organized ».
In these reflections, Marc Marquez relies on its models. There was Nadal at the time of the injuries. Today, with the return to competition, there is Fernando Alonso : " one of the things he taught me, is not to underestimate your opponents, but on the contrary to analyze their strengths, in order to arrive better prepared. He is one of those drivers who is always very harsh with his teammate or his rivals, but with respect. On and off the track ».
For his part, the Asturian showed his full support for the cause of his compatriot: “ 2024 will not be a walk in the park, but I think I speak for everyone if I say we really want to see him fight for races and the world championship again. I followed the tests minute by minute. I liked seeing Marc smile again. They were complicated years, but the suffering was also ours and we will always be there for him ". Everything is in place for a truth season…
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