Jorge Martin’s ominous prediction for Marc Marquez’s first race on a Ducati
Jorge Martin has solved his fairing 🍨problem - and comments on Marc Marquez's three-day test
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jorge Martin watched 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Marc Marquez over the three-day Sepang test and now expects him to fight for the win at the first MotoGP round of the season.
Mar🅘quez’s switch from Repsol Honda to Gresini Ducati could create a fascinating addition to the 2024 📖MotoGP championship picture, which Pramac’s Martin hopes to be involved in again.
While Marquez went somewhat under the radar at the Sepanꦬg test, his rivals are not fooled.
“He’s where I expected,” Martin said about Marquez, who finished sixth-fastest꧙ on Thursday, with the sixth-fastest average lap time over lo🀅ng runs..
“He wil🥀l be really close to the victory in Qatar.”
MotoGP ridไers have a two-day test in Qatar before the fi🃏rst round on March 8-10.
Martin, who narrowly missed out on last year’s title to factory Ducati rival Franceꦺsco Bagnaia, wa🐼s asked if they would resume their battle immediately.
“I ꦑdon🦹’t know, I don’t know, whatever,” he replied.
“I am focused on myself to improve my skillsജ and mജy riding skills. The rest will come.
“I can guess that the sprints of last season will help a lot. Hopefull🐠y, I can be the one to try to beat Pecco.
“I feel ready for everything.
“But these tests?💃 Difficult to analyse. A lot of riders have great pace butꦬ we don’t know their tyres.
“It won’t only beဣ Pecco and me. There 🐠will be many more riders.”
Was Martin surprised by anꦺyone at the Sepang test?
“No,” he in🀅sisted. “All the things th♉at I expected happened.
“A lot of strong riders who will be fighting🐈 for the title this season.”
Martin was second-fastest on a productive third and final day of the Sepangꦏ test.
He trailed 🌟pace-setter Bagnaia by𒐪 +0.172s in an intriguing sign for the races ahead.
But his average lap across long runs was better than🦄 Bagnaia’s, and second only to 🌊Fabio di Giannantonio.
Crucially, Martin and Pramac h🅷ave also solved theiꩵr fairing issue.
On Wednesday, Martin complained that he didn’t like the new 2024 fairing - but Bagnaia📖 and Enea Bastianini fed back completely opposite comments.
Martin has now said: “I was with a new fairing which yesterday I didn’t li🎐ke. We changed the set-up.
“Straight away, I felt good and I did ღa great lap.
“I did a small mistake in Turn 3 but the rest of t🧔he lap was impressive. Going under ‘57 was nice.
“Finally, I think yesterday I 🎃had a headache because I saw Pecco and Enea liked it. But Iꦰ didn’t!
“It was strange that we didn’t have the s♛ame commen🦄ts.
“So today, straight away in the morning, Iܫ felt competitive. Then I did the back-to-back, it was ♏better, with more potential.
“We have the package for 2024.”
He described how the 2024 fairing is better than last year’s: “It is more stabl🐈e. We have more downforce. You have to get used to it.
“It’s❀ slower changing direction so you have to change the bike.
“Maybe, the riding style also.
“But overallꦦ it’s a positive way to go. It has a lot of potential.
“Wꦑe have 🍒to understand how to get the maximum out of it but I feel good.”
He said about his long run on Thursday: “Yes,༒ quite good. On the second lap maybe I pushed too much.
“The tyre was suffering a lot.
“It was nice to see 10 laps in a row because we had some issues with [t𝐆he tyres at the end of last year]! I cannot say a lot. But we had issues with the soft rear.
“This is good information for the race, because maybe it’s not the ♏choice for the Sunday ra🐻ce.
“The pace was the fastest of the Ducatis.
“I feel comfortable, strong. Overa💮ll, I feel OK to sta❀rt the season.”
Martin enters the season among the two or three favourites for 🤪the championshi♛p, emboldened by last year’s near-miss.
“I feel quite strong,” he sai♛d. “Iಌ have the experience now. I am more precise in my comments, also.
“We hav꧃e taken a step forward. Last year, I had the new bike and felt super good.
“This year we had to work more but finall🦂y arrived at a stronger base.”
James was a sports൲ journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to footbaꦗll, to F1.
