The second press conference as a prelude to the Portuguese Grand Prix motorcycle, at the Algarve International Autodrome in Portimão, brought together Marc Marquez, Peter Acosta, Miguel Oliveira et Fermin Aldeguer, to answer various questions from journalists.
In the middle of the very young generation composed among others of Peter Acosta et Fermin Aldeguer, Marc Marquez already looks like a veteran at the age of 31. These words are all the more interesting…
As usual, we report his words here without the slightest formatting, even if it is translated from English.
Welcome to the Algarve International Circuit, as we continue preparations for the Tissot Portuguese Grand Prix, the second round of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship. For the second press conference, I have the pleasure of welcoming Marc Marquez, the driver of the Gresini Racing team. Marc, 4th in the World Championship after an impressive debut with Ducati in Qatar, and of course on pole here in Portimao a year ago, before taking third place in the historic first Tissot Sprint.
Throughout the pre-season, Marc, you told us that you felt your potential was around 4th, 5th and 6th places. You qualified 6th in Qatar, 5th in the Sprint and 4th in the Grand Prix. Great prediction! What are you expecting from this weekend, Marc? Do you think the podiums are potentially close, and how will this weekend be different, of course, coming here blind, without any testing?
Marc Marquez : “Yes, of course, the approach to the weekend is exactly the same as Qatar. Obviously, we have a new factor which is that we are going to go directly to the circuit in the race weekend, which has changed the planning a little, especially because from FP1 you have to be quick on the timed laps, and it was the most difficult thing in Malaysia and Qatar: the first day I struggled a bit. So let's see if here in Portimao I can start straight away in the top 10, which will be the direct jump to QP2. This is the main objective. But other than that, let's see where we are on a completely different circuit. »
Marc, I imagine you're expecting a lot of on-track battles with Pedro Acosta in the future, after what we saw in Qatar...
“Yes, I already said it last year and I confirm it after Qatar; I mean he will be one of the guys of the future MotoGP, and of the present, because as he showed in Qatar, he has enough talent. And before the race, I already said “when you are super talented, you are fast with any type of bike”. And yes, he was super fast on this lap, and I'm sure he learned to manage the tires and will be even better in the next races. »
Marc, you are the king of rescues. You've done so much over the years. Were you impressed by Pedro Acosta’s?
“Yes (laughs)! I already said it was a good one. I mean you have to believe in the bike to do that, especially because if you take the grip aggressively you can fly away. But it was a good one. He has a very good driving style. When they come from Moto2, they have very good speed in the corners and when I followed Pedro for those two laps in the race, he was very fast in the fast corners, and that's what made the difference . »
Speaking with Davide Tardozzi after the Qatar race, Ducati is not closing the door to its official team for you for the next season. What do you think about the possibility of being a partner of Peco Bagnaia next season?
“My situation is completely different from the past. Last December I already signed the contract for the following year and, for the moment, I am in no hurry. I mean, I just want to focus on myself. I try to do my best. I know that if I am happy, I will be faster, I will have more opportunities to choose a saddle, but so far I do not want to talk about it. I want to focus on myself: what I did in Qatar, what I will do here, some places will be better, some races will be worse, but I will try to give 100% because I know that in the sport, it's the present that counts, not the past. So the present is like this, and I have to work because 2, 3 or 4 drivers are faster than me. »
This year is a completely different year for you, because you are now part of a satellite team. And it seems that the atmosphere in a satellite team is very different. Looking at what the team posts on social media, it looks like they're having a lot of fun. I'm not saying Repsol wasn't fun, but there was probably more pressure in a factory team. Is this what you prefer? Or would you say that the added pressure in a factory team helped you perform even better? And earlier I asked your brother what he would like for next year and he said a factory bike on this team. Would it be the same for you?
“I will not answer the second question because I would answer the same thing as in Mela (Chercoles). I set myself the goal of doing my best on the circuit, and that's how I'll get more opportunities. As for the first question, the pressure is the same, because drivers are happy if they get on the podium, teams are happy if they get on the podium, and that's the team's goal . At the end of the day, having a good atmosphere, making jokes, doesn't mean there isn't pressure, or that there isn't ambition. I mean the ambition is the same as a factory team because we are here to try and fight for the best possible results. But it is true that at the end of the day, there are fewer people in the team and it is more familiar. But the good atmosphere, I always say, within the team, is just a big help. In the Repsol team, the atmosphere was okay, but of course the culture is different between the Japanese, the Italians, the Spanish and the Americans. So any atmosphere is good if the results are good! »
Marc, how superior is the Ducati 24 compared to yours. Can you measure it in lap time?
“For me, she’s not better. I mean, I have what I have and for me, I already feel better than last year, and so it's a bike that I feel really good on. Of course the 24 will be better in some ways, yes, but with the 23 we have the experience of last year. So we have to use it and try to understand it, but I haven't discovered the full potential of the bike yet. I have to keep moving forward and trying to figure out how to use all the real potential of this 2023."
When you arrived in MotoGP in 2013, you invented a new style with strong braking, with a large lean angle, and all your opponents tried to follow this path. Today, Pedro arrives with his style. Do you think you can learn anything from him?
“Of course, the younger generations arrive in MotoGP and ride differently: I used the elbow, now they use the shoulder (laughs). Like Martin, Pedro and many other riders, they play a lot with the body, this is one of the points you need to understand about your riding style. And you can see for example that Aleix Espargaro is super fast with an old school riding style. But it is true that when you go from Moto2 to MotoGP, as we have seen in the past, many riders are able to be super fast at the start because they have a lot of passing speed through the corners , then after a few races they have less speed in the corners but maybe they manage the tires better. It's something that's part of the process. But yeah, I mean when I was 20 I learned a lot from Valentino, Lorenzo and Pedrosa. Now I need to learn from young people who come with a new spirit. »
Sorry for the question. Do you feel old among these pilots?
“I feel more experienced (laughs). No, but it's true, it's something my team and I were talking about just two days ago. I was the one who was 20 years old and came in and fought with the legends like Valentino, Lorenzo and Dani. And now it's the complete opposite. I mean with the race that Pedro did in Qatar, in 2013, I fought with Valentino and it was the same comparisons, and also with Jorge, with Dani. And yes, it's something new, but it's good, and it's the natural process of sport. I mean that everyone has their period, then little by little people will arrive, drivers, young drivers, young talents, who will push you towards the exit (laughs), and it will be their turn. »
Marc, what are you doing better today than when you were younger? And is your approach to race weekends still the same now that you're older?
“Of course I have more experience, but one of the things I did when I was younger was I wasn't aware of what I was doing, and sometimes it went well ! Some people said “you know, after the injury he will be stronger, yes he will be stronger”. I won't be any faster than in the past. By that I mean when you're younger you have that little extra. But of course you can use a little more experience and you have to use that experience. For example, I was calm in Qatar, I was calm during the pre-season. But I will make mistakes, because we are human beings and we are the only ones who make the same mistake twice. This is how. So yes, we will see if we can continue on this path, and obviously try to understand, and learn from the best guys in the Ducati team. »
They say that in a few races we will know what will happen to the technical rules from 2027, and I would like you to tell me what would be the perfect racing bike for you?
"It depends on what you mean by 'perfect racing bike.' I mean, if you want the MotoGP category to go in the direction of spectacle, of spectators, or in the direction of the perfect bike. I prefer to go to the show. If you remove the aerodynamics, if you remove certain devices, all those things, I think the show will be better. Because today it is much more difficult to overtake than in the past. We can overtake, of course, but by taking more risks. A perfect motorcycle would mean more aerodynamics, lap times would be faster and speed higher. A perfect bike is a more aerodynamic bike, lap times will be faster, but people at home don't realize if we're a second faster or slower on TV. So I'm going to opt for this solution, less aerodynamics, everything more manual, and for the show, it will be better. »
