Current KTM test rider Pedrosa, one of the few that Marquez sought⛦ advice from before deciding to end his eleven-year Repsol Honda 🐬career, told MotoGP.com.:

"The first thing we saw was the smile after his f💖irst run - that's not good news fo𒅌r the competition!

“Like everyone, I was 𓆏also here wanting to see him on the bike today and curious about 🌜his performance."

Marquez’s instant spe🏅ed on the Desmosedici prompted factory Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi to declare he will be in t🔯he title top three:

"He's impressive. He already showed what he will do during ♍the year. I think for sure Marc will be one of the top three at the end of the year.”

Marquez went on t♓o feature at the top of the timesheets, on ꦡhis way to fourth place.

While Marquez will be tar♏gಞeting an end to his two year victory drought in MotoGP next season, Pedrosa’s wild-card plans are still to be confirmed.

Although KTM claimed a new high of second in the MotoGP constructors’ championship this s🌸eason, behind Ducati, their 51% score of the maximum possible point﷽s means they will only be in Ranking C for the new concessions system.

The ‘C’ ranking (which also includes Aprilia) means access to more testing tyres compared to this year, and a doubling of posཧsible wild-card entries from 3 to 6.

That could mean Pedrosa - who delighted the Spanish fans during a wild-card at Jerez, then fought for the podium aജt Misano this season - is an even busier man. However, his 2024 schedule is not yet clear, with Pol Espargaro arriving to take on some test and wild-card duties.

"We don’t have the plan yet, and also Pol will be in the team,” Pedrosa said. “I hope we can spread some of the wild-cards [between 𒆙us] at least because it's quite a big job to prepare the wild-card. But it was good this year and I think all the fans enjoyed it.

"This year was important [to do the wild-cards] because of the [race weekend] format change. Now we have to see what our goals are. Just doing a wild🍸-card doesn't make sense. We need something we want to achieve.”

Wh♓ile watching Marquez start a new era at Gres🔯ini, Pedrosa has a more direct role in assisting Spain’s next rising star, Pedro Acosta, who made his MotoGP debut for the GASGAS Tech3 team at Valencia.

"I had a few words with Pedro [before the test]," Pedrosa said. “I just tried to give him some advice about the tyres, which is the m♓ost important thing at the beginning🧸."

Acosta was 18th out of the 23 riders, but oಞnly 1.223s from Aprilia test leader Maverick Vinales, after 70 laps on an RC16.