Alex Marquez topped the third and final day of testing, showing excellent race pace.
The three-day MotoGP test in Sepang showcased an impressive Alex Marquez. The Spanish rider from the Gresini Team, aboard the Ducati GP24, finished the final Malaysian day at the top, demonstrating not only excellent race pace but also an enviable time attack.
At the end of the test week, the Spanish rider did not hide his excitement, as shown by his words: “The third day was really positive. The first two were very good, but this one was even better. Overall, we did a great job. Beyond the lap time, which is important because if you’re able to do a time attack and be there, it shows that the bike responds when you ask for more. But especially with the race pace we have.”
Marquez then added: “The Sprint simulation was very good. Everything seems to be going very well, but it’s Sepang. I mean, I love this track, and I’ve always been fast here. So I want to stay calm, and we need to go to Thailand to see where we stand. We were fast at Montmelò, and we’ve been solid here. Thailand isn’t a circuit we race at often, but I really like it. We’ll see how we are and how quickly the factory riders manage to put everything together.”
The confidence shown by Marquez is quite different compared to his experience with the GP23. This is his thought: “It’s true that we struggled a lot last year with the GP23, but when you struggle, you learn a lot more. So everything we learned last year will definitely help us with the GP24. With the GP23, from 0 to 10, the confidence was always a 7; with this bike, it’s a 9. That’s important. The GP24 is the best. But even the GP22 went really well. It feels like the sister of the 2022 bike; it’s a lot of fun to ride.”
And finally: “We need to stay a bit calm. We’re doing a great job, but we have to stay calm. There’s still a lot to see. We need to see where we stand when all the manufacturers put everything together after the tests.”
Photo: X MotoGP
