While the RC213V scored just two podiums and was sixth and last in the constructors’ standings, Marquez arguably had the least competitive versiಞon on the 𒐪grid.

Not only was he once again riding for the sate♌llite LCR team, but when he inked a 2023 contract to join Gresini Ducati in June the chance of receiving any developments parts all but vanished.

The end result was just 50 points over the 20𓃲 rounds, 17th in the world championship and three top ten finishes, the best of which was seventh place at Portimao.

To put that into perspective, Marqueꦏz had scored 74 points (and two podiums) over 14 rounds as a rookie at Repsol Honda in 2020.

Speaking at Saturday’s team launch, the 26-year-old admitted that the ‘s💫uffering’ he went through last season toꦆok a toll on him mentally.

• FIRST LOOK: Gresini adds 'pinch more red' for 2023 MotoGPꦅ livery
• Al▨ex Marque♎z: ‘Everyone starts from zero, but Marc’s the favourite'
• Dall’Igna: Ducati MotoE bike ‘just the start’, lꦐap time ‘really good’

“It's true that after the Valencia test I took some break, because I was a little bit on the limit on the head 😼side about bikes🐼 and all this. I finished the season a little bit on the limit for all the situation,” Marquez said.

“As I mentione𝔉d many times, I felt a little bit alone inside the box, but it's something from the꧋ past now. Yeah, I suffered, but I learned also from that situation.

“It was not easy for everybody. Suffering with the bike, suffering with the [pa♉rts] and all this, but I cannot complain about the LCR team. They have beeܫn there with me all the time. I had a really good crew and in Valencia it was really emotional to leave the team, but it's something that I needed.

“[Jo🍌ining Gresini Ducati] i🦹s a great opportunity for me. I felt a really great and warm welcome in Valencia. I went to the Ducati factory in December. So the feeling and the emotions are great, motivation is high like always because last season I was in a difficult situation but I never lost the motivation and now we need to keep going like this.”

Why European manufacturers have the edge in MotoGP

F💃rancesco Bagnaia’s MotoGP title victory is only the second time a European manufacturer has won𒀰 the 500cc/MotoGP crown in the last 48 years, the other being fellow Ducati rider Casey Stoner in 2007.

But the fe☂eling is that the once dominant Japanese brands, now reduced to just Honda and Yamaha, have lost the edge technically against the more aggressive development style🥀 of the European factories.

Indeed, last season saw Ducati, KTM and Aprilia win a combined 15 of&🅰nbsp;20 races, with three victories by Yamaha’s reigning champion Fabio Quartara꧋ro and two for Suzuki's Alex Rins.

“It looks like the European manufacturers have some advantage, but it's not an aꦗdvantage just because they are [based] in Europe or something,” Marquez stressed.

“No, they have a [different] mentality of working that at the moment is an advant🦂age for their riders.. They are much faster doing new [parဣts] and all this.

“I thin💧k now Ducati is the reference [so] I'♕m in a great place.”

Marquez is taking over the𓂃 Gresini seat of four-time෴ 2022 race winner Enea Bastianini, who has been promoted to the factory team alongside Bagnaia.