Let's talk MotoGP: Marc Marquez was not disappointing, but…

Highly anticipated following his signing with Ducati Gresini, the eight-time world champion finally raced on one of the best MotoGP in Qatar. Today, it's time to look back at Marc Marquez's special weekend; not disappointing, no, but rather surprising. A certain number of elements were not discussed by observers. It’s time to revisit these. Analysis in several points.

 

The idea of ​​Marc Marquez stronger than Marc Marquez

 

This is a rather delicate first subject to approach. Before each Grand Prix, I make predictions with a group of friends, who will recognize each other when reading these lines. This weekend, I had bet on Jorge Martin in qualifying – but not in Sprint, as well as on Pecco Bagnaia in the race. This proves that my reasonable side, expressed in pre-season analyses, took precedence over emotion. Objectively, Pecco is the best driver in the world as I had the opportunity to point out in the article published on Monday – and which I invite you to find by clicking here.

Despite my fairly accurate prediction, I was expecting a surprise. I expected an outsider to disrupt the hierarchy, thwart the factory team's plans from the first race. Like in a film, he would remember how, 11 years ago, he arrived in the premier category to fight with Valentino Rossi. In the end, none of that.

 

 

Marc Marquez, for a first, was extremely strong. He convinced us all, including himself, as evidenced by his smile and the congratulations of his team upon arrival. From Friday to Sunday, he was impeccable, worked in the right direction, and perfectly succeeded in his audacious bet.. He will get closer to the podiums in the coming weeks, there is no doubt.

Except I wasn't expecting that. I expressed, in mid-2023, my incomprehension regarding his racing philosophy, consisting of pushing until you fall. And subconsciously, I hoped that he would take up these principles for his first outing on the Desmosedici GP23. I wanted to see an unleashed Marquez, ready to fight, living up to his legend. In the end, I had an even better Marquez, but much more calm and thoughtful.

 

 

What does that mean ? That the idea we have of a pilot is sometimes superior to the talent and human abilities of said subject. I wasn't expecting a good performance from her, but a heroic ride, even if she failed further down the rankings. A bit like what Pedro Acosta did for example. I had prepared myself for the crazy overruns, the sensational rescues, and the fall, too, that made him human all these years.

Marquez was better than in my brain, but not more flamboyant. Today, I feel like I'm still waiting for his debut on Ducati.

 

 

Not so close

 

Let's return to the rational side of the analysis. If we judge the result objectively, it was remarkable but due to the context, we could also expect it closer to the head. This also played on my unconscious, and therefore goes back to point n°1.

I remind you that he is the best on a tour, of all time. Also, he only came within a tenth of the pole, but Jorge Martin's loop seemed so unattainable. During the Sprint and then the race, he was surprisingly discreet, which is not like him. Pedro Acosta got away from him on Sunday before making a mistake, but I didn't see a difference of six world titles between the two. He finished both races in the top 5, which was his initial goal according to his own words, but finished far, far from winning and even from the podium from a dynamic point of view.

So, okay, he doesn't have the same bike as the first two in the general classification in 2023. But at the finish, he largely congratulated the two holders of a Desmosedici GP24 in front of him. “Pecco and Jorge are at the front, not just because they have a GP24. They ride better than me” he always said with a smile. Certain sentences distilled in the media are interesting and perhaps explain my unconscious feelings once Monday morning arrived: “My goal has always been to be in the top five. If you want to aspire to more, you have to win races and get on the podium. For the moment, we are not there yet ». It's so smart, but so not Marc Marquez.

 

It becomes dangerous

 

 

In conclusion, I wanted to come back to this state of mind. Last year, I criticized him for attacking all the time, because that's not what Honda needed. This year, logically, I didn't expect him to do this because he now has a bike to fight up front. But precisely, if he adopts this behavior definitively, and does not further deviate from his own strategy, he will logically become a contender for the world title. Because he is capable of maintaining such a level of performance over an entire season, and maintaining a high points average without dropping too much. This is the only thing that Bagnaia has never shown us before.

What do you think of my analysis, and more broadly, of Marc Marquez's debut with Ducati? Tell me in the comments!

Cover photo: Gresini Racing