Marc Márquez: “This will be a new experience for me, because Pecco Bagnaia is the reference in Ducati and i hate….”

 

Next season, Marc Márquez will embark on a new chapter in his illustrious MotoGP career as he transitions to Ducati, stepping into a factory role that marks a significant shift from his years with Repsol Honda.

Unlike his past experience, where he was the undisputed leader and primary reference within his team, Márquez will now be paired with reigning MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia, a dynamic that promises a new set of challenges and opportunities for the Spaniard.

In a recent press conference, Márquez acknowledged the novelty of his upcoming role at Ducati. Reflecting on his time at Repsol Honda, he noted, “Of course for me it will be a new experience, because usually

I was in Repsol Honda Team and defending all the experience and being the best inside the garage. Lorenzo arrived, Joan Mir arrived, two world champions, and in the end it was a different situation because I knew better the bike.”

This new environment at Ducati will place Márquez in a position akin to those of Joan Mir, Jorge Lorenzo, and Pol Espargaró when they joined Honda between 2019 and 2023. It’s a role where he will not be the primary reference within the team. Instead, he will be working alongside Bagnaia, who is the established benchmark at Ducati, as evidenced by his number 1 on the fairing.

Márquez is approaching this new role with an open mind and a willingness to learn. “This will be a new experience for me because Pecco is the reference inside Ducati, he has the number 1 in the fairing, he is super fast and of course I need to learn a lot from him, how he does, how he rides,” Márquez said. He acknowledges that while he will have access to data and technical information, the real learning happens in the collaborative environment of the garage.

Despite the shift in dynamics, Márquez is optimistic about the potential for mutual benefit. He emphasized his hopes for a collaborative atmosphere, stating, “From that point, I hope that we can help each other, because at the end if he is competitive and I am competitive, this will be the biggest help inside the garage to increase our level.”

Márquez’s transition to Ducati represents a pivotal moment in his career, as he navigates a new team environment and adapts to working alongside a current world champion. The upcoming season will undoubtedly test his adaptability and collaborative skills, but it also offers the exciting prospect of fresh challenges and potential growth within the Ducati factory team.