MotoGP, Frankie Carchedi: “Marquez’s smile in Valencia was only one of relief”

He ended the Sepang tests in 6th place, just two below his brother and teammate Alex. Marc Marquez seems to have already, in part, figured out the Ducati. However, those who work with him preach caution.

We’re specifically talking about Frankie Carchedi who, this season, will be the eight-time world champion’s crew chief and who, in 2020, had worked with Joan Mir in Suzuki. Accustomed to consulting with his trustworthy Santi Hernandez, the rider from Cervera will have to face two innovations, to added to that of the Desmosedici, after a decade spent on a Honda. So he better not build too many castles in the sky and should be keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground. 

As the engineer pointed out on Crashnet, the rider from Spain will have to be patient and take things one step at a time. “It’ll probably take three or four races before we find our pace,” he said, downplaying the first good sensations he felt. “When he smiled in Valencia as he got off the bike, it was, more than anything, the relief of having tried it for the first time. There was a lot of anticipation, and he didn’t know how it was going to go.”

He admitted himself that he felt a lot of pressure. “I felt like there were 500,000 people waiting outside. There I realized what Marc represents as a sportsman and a  personality. But when we started working, everything took a back seat.”

Even if the pace on the distance wasn’t bad during the three test days in Sepang, there’s still work to be done to achieve full competitiveness. “I’m sure it’s going to increase. It all depends on the starting level. Only then will we be able to get an idea of what kind of championship it’ill be,”  he said. “It’s no coincidence that Pecco Bagnaia needed four years to reach the top. Initially, he didn’t get beyond forty to fifty seasonal points. And even Jorge Lorenzo struggled.”