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    29 November 2023

    Key Indicators of Marquez’s Successful Debut with Ducati MotoGP

    Marc Marquez’s Momentous Test Day with Ducati

    It was a chilly morning at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo on November 28. The media huddled outside the Gresini Racing garage, eagerly awaiting one of the most important test days in recent memory. This marked the beginning of Marc Marquez’s journey as a Ducati rider for the 2024 season.

    At precisely 11:14am, Marquez swung his leg over the GP23 bike that he would be racing next year. This moment was significant – it had been over a decade since he last rode anything other than a Honda in MotoGP. He completed eight laps on his first run with Ducati, clocking an impressive time of 1m30.683s and securing third place in standings at that point.

    The time itself may not have mattered much, but what really caught everyone’s attention was Marquez’s reaction when he returned to his seat alongside crew chief Frankie Carchedi. A fleeting smile hinted at relief or perhaps something more profound? We can only speculate until January 1st, when his contract restrictions with Honda expire.

    Gresini sporting director Michele Masini later spoke to the media about this remarkable day: “The feeling was there, and we cannot wait to start off fresh in 2024 after today.” While unable to elaborate due to contractual obligations, Masini pointed out that one could let the timesheet speak for itself.

    And speak it did! Throughout the day, Marquez continued pushing himself and improving upon each lap. He completed a total of49 laps on the GP23, with his times consistently getting better. In run three, he achieved a time of 1m30.222s. By run seven, he posted an impressive 1m29.460s.

    At precisely 3:21pm, the media center erupted in excitement as Marquez crossed the timing beam and claimed the top spot on the timesheet with a phenomenal lap time of 1m29.424s. This moment held more emotion and passion than what was witnessed during the entire title-deciding weekend.

    If this had been a qualifying effort rather than just testing, Marquez’s time would have secured him tenth place on the grid – an excellent result considering it was his first outing with Ducati! When all was said and done at the end of the test day, Marquez finished fourth overall and only 0.171s behind the leader Marco Bezzecchi on his GP23.

    Another noteworthy aspect from this test day was that Marquez managed to complete it without any crashes or incidents—an impressive feat after enduring numerous accidents throughout Honda’s challenging season in Valencia Grand Prix just days prior.

    All signs indicate that Marquez has already gained confidence in Ducati’s front-end handling capabilities while not even pushing himself to his full potential yet; something that will surely keep his rivals pondering over during winter break.

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