Valencia MotoGP Test: Ducati: “No surprise” Marc Marquez had a smile on his face after first laps

Marc Marquez’s reaction to his first laps on a Ducati MotoGP bike is sure to be one of the standout moments of the Valencia test.
Marc
Marc

Parking his black and red GP23 at the Gresini garage at the end of an eight-lap run, Marquez walked inside the 🧔garage and initially remained poker-faced as he removed his helmet and earplugs.

But the eight-time world champion, winless for the last two yea꧑rs at Repsol Honda, gave the game away when he glanced at new crew chief Frankie Carchedi.

Marquez broke into a big smile and raised his eyebrows to ♛indicate his delight, before the ﷺteam blocked the cameras and garage doors were pulled down.

But the brief moment wasn’t lost on the rest of the pitꦍlane, i𝔉ncluding senior Ducati management.

“He had a smile oꩲn his face after the first few laps on a Ducati. ♑It’s no surprise,” Ducati Sporting director Paolo Ciabatti told MotoGP.com.

“When a manufacturer is able to win with six different riders, it means th🍒e bike is good and is easy for different riding styles. In this respect, I wasn’t expecting anything difficult for Marc. He’s an eight-time world champion.

"His brother has probably also given him some hints in the past season about how good the bike is, how good the team is. It’s a family-style environment but with skilled technicians, it’s probably what Marc needed after so many dif🅘ficult seasons with Honda.

“We must say that deciding to leave a factory team to join an independent team, to find fun again, is the feeling that a r𓆉ider ༒needs.

“Marc is not the youngest rider but he’s not that old, at all. After 🐎a few disappointing seasons he just wants to enjoy it - and he will be able to enjoy the Ducati, for sure.

“It will bring challenges to the other Ducati rideꦫrs, for sure. It’s going to be interesting.

“The other manufacturers won’t be happy - ‘it’s a Ducati d𓆏omination!’ What can I say? What can I do? It was h🤡is choice, and it was the best choice for Gresini.”

Marquez ended the test fourth-fastest.

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