The eight-time world champion admitted he felt ‘comfortable’ from his first run on the Desmosedici, but also cautioned that he is yet to test the limits 🀅of the bike.

“In Valencia I was riding very smooth but still we don’t know if that will be my riding style with Duca💞ti,” said Marquez, who was a close fourthꦇ quickest at the test, during Saturday night’s Gresini team launch.

“It was the first test, I told them to just put the set-up ꦗof the others and not touch anything. Just I ne𓂃ed to adapt.

“They touched some very small things to give me more confidence with the front, but I was riding smooth because I didn’t feel ready to ride aggressive a🌺n☂d find the limit of the bike.

“I’m curious to try the bike in circuits like Malaysia and Qatar where I struggled a lot every year. Because Valencia normally I’m very fa🌌st every year.

But it was a good way to start.

“In Valencia, the lap time ꧋arrived because I felt comfortable with the bike from the first run.

“But also I was calm because I had only one bike in the garage. I mean I was used to 🎀having four [Honda] bikes at the🍸 Valencia test! I had only one and they said to me, ‘if you crash, you finish the test’.

“So I was calm, working step by step and feeling the bike. But I’m curio🦋us to see how I feel in Ma🦋laysia.”

Whi🍃le Marquez famously made up t🔴ime on the brakes at Honda, the Ducati’s natural strength is on corner exit.

“It’s a different way to approach the lap, 🌺and the lap time,” Marquez said. “When you want to push, still I need to und🃏erstand that point. But way to approach the corners is completely different.

“Of course, I need to say that Honda also has very strong p🀅oints in some parts of the corner. But you cannot use the strong points that I was used to.

“Especially the exit of the corner was really good, really smooth [on the Ducati]. But still I 𒉰need to learn the way to use more the ๊extra power and extra grip we have.”

And no🌸 matter how good the bike is, Marquez – who fell a record 29 times last season - is adamant he will still need to take risks to succeed.

“You have to risk to find the limit, this is my style and I will keep doing this🦋🉐.

"The Ducati riders also fell a lot last season. So a bike has a limit. And you have to ris♈k to gﷺo faster than the others.

“At the beginning I will try to go slow but I’m sur꧂e I’ll have the first crash in Malaysia or Qatar. I’d prefer in the tests than a race!”

The official Sepang test takes place⭕ from February 6-8, followed by the Qatar test on February 19-20. Marquez’s Ducati race debut will then take place at the same Lusail circuit on the weekend of March 8-10.