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.
Marquez’s switch from Repsol Honda to Gresini Ducati could create a fascinating addition to the 2024 MotoGP cꦫhampionship picture, which Pramac’s Martin hopes to be involved in again.
While Marquez went somewhat under the radar at the Sepang testꦯ, his rivals are not fo⭕oled.
“He’s where I expect🍸ed,” Martin said about Marquez, who finished sixth-fastest on Thursday, with the sixth-fastest average𝐆 lap time over long runs..
“He will be 𓆏really close to the victory in Qatar.”
🍸MotoGP riders have a two-day test in Qatar before the first round on March 8-10.
Martin, ﷽who narrowly missed out on last year’s title to factory Ducati rival Francesco Bagnaia, was asked if they would resume their battle immediately.
“I don’t know𒀰, I don’t know, whatever,” he replied.
“I am focus♒ed on myself to improve my skills and my riding sk𝔍ills. The rest will come.
“I can guess❀ that the sprints of last season will help a lot. Hopefully, 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 but we don’t know their tyres.
“It won’t only be 𒁏Pecco and me. There will be many more r🥂iders.”
Was Martin surprised by anyone at💦 the Sepang test?
“No,” he insisted. “All the things that I expected happen༒ed.
“A lot of strong riders who will be fighting for the tiꦦtle this season.”
Martin was second-fastest on a productive third and final day of the ♔Sepang test.
He trailed pace-setter Bagnaia by +0.172s in an intriguing sig💟n for the races ahead.
But his average lap across long runs was better than Bagnaia’𒀰s🤡, and second only to Fabio di Giannantonio.
Crucially, Martin and Prama🌟c have also solved their fai🐠ring issue.
♕On Wednesday, Martin complained that he didn’t like the ꦐnew 2024 fairing - but Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini fed back completely opposite comments.
M🍰artin has now said: “Iﷺ was with a new fairing which yesterday I didn’t like. We changed the set-up.
“Straight away, I felt good and I did a🌌 great lap.
“I did a small mistak𓄧e in Turn 3 but the reꦐst of the lap was impressive. Going under ‘57 was nice.
“Finally,ജ I think yesterday I had ꦰa headache because I saw Pecco and Enea liked it. But I didn’t!
“It was strange that we didn’t have thꦺe same comments.
“So today, straight away in the morning, I felt competitive. Then I did the back-to-back, it was better, withౠ more potential.
“We have the package for 2024.”
He described how the 2024 fairing⛦ is better than last year’s: “It is more stable. We have𝔉 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 overall it’s a positive wayꦦ to go. It 𒊎has a lot of potential.
“We 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 [the tyres at the end𒆙 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 race.
“The pace was the fastest of the Ducatis.
“I🏅 feel comfortable, strong. Overall, I feel OK to start the🐲 season.”
Martin enters the season among the two or three favourites for the championship, embold📖ened by last year’s ꦓnear-miss.
“I feel quit𝐆e strong,” he said. “I have the expe🙈rience now. I am more precise in my comments, also.
“We ꦛhave taken a step forward. Last year, I had the new bike and felt super good.
“This year we had to work more but finally arrived꧂ at a ♒stronger base.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering eve𝕴rything from American sports, to football, to F1.
