Marc Márquez faces his last four races at Gresini with the aim of gaining good momentum for next year, and looks at Ducati when asked about the factory’s alleged intervention in the performance of his motorcycle’s engine.
The Spanish rider spoke to the media this Thursday in the run-up to the Australian Grand Prix outside of the official press conference, from which both he and Enea Bastianini have been ‘dropped’ in the last two races. For Márquez, Phillip Island is a favorable setting, on the one hand due to the left-hand curves, and also due to the weather conditions, which can offer an opportunity to take advantage of.
“The weather can help, but we have to see how that affects the tires,” explained Márquez.
“We do not know the level of degradation that we are going to encounter, last year, the strongest did not win due to the choice of tires”, in reference to Pecco Bagnaia and, above all, Jorge Martín, who after leading the entire race He ran out of tires in the last two laps, with Johann Zarco finally taking the victory.
In addition to looking at the sky, Márquez knows that the design of the Australian route favors him.
“I approach all the circuits that turn left with more optimism. During rehearsals we will see where we are. Bagnaia and Martín are giving each other feedback and raising the level,” he warns.
Another factor that the Gresini driver takes into account is the grip level of Phillip Island.
“If a motorcycle goes better it does it everywhere; this year, when there was a lot of grip I was a little worse,” he explains.
Although he claims to have met the objectives he set in his first season outside of Honda, Marc wants to maintain the levels of demand until the last race. “I put the pressure on myself, I have to look for my incentives,” he admits.
The biggest objective was none other than to reach the official Ducati team, a step for which he is already preparing.
“If next year I am in the official team, I have the obligation to fight to win races. But first we have to finish this season well, to start next year with good momentum. This year I wanted to win a race and we have won two. We’ll see if I can win some more, I don’t rule out anything. I wanted to work on consistency and I’ve worked on it; now I have to increase my speed a point, that level of risk.”
Regarding Ducati’s alleged intervention in the performance of its engine, after the Mandalika breakage, Marc stuck to saying that “It’s something that Ducati decides.”
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