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Marc Marquez knows he has a great opportunity in Portimao. The Portuguese track has always appealed to the Spaniard, and the pole and podium in last season's Sprint Race are just confirmation of that, since he got them with a Honda objectively in oxygen debt.
Now he has at his disposal the bike that dominated both the Grand Prix and the Sprint here in 2023 with Bagnaia, so after taking measures to the Ducati in Lusail, many in the paddock are ready to bet that Marc wants to raise the bar in Portugal. The fifth and fourth places in Qatar in fact represented a good starting point for his season, but knowing his killer attitude, it is likely that Portimao could become the perfect scenario to see him in attack mode as early as tomorrow's first free practice session.
What do you expect in Portimao to be different than in Lusail?
"Of course things are different, because we will go in to be fast right away, and that makes this weekend different than Qatar and also the test in Malaysia, because I had been a little bit struggling there. Let's see if in Portimao will be able to be in the top ten right away, maybe getting into Q2 which is my goal. But with that out of the way, I would say that this track is completely different than the ones I have been riding on so far with the Ducati."
Is Acosta your heir?
"I think Acosta will be one of the riders of the future and also of the present in MotoGP. He showed in Qatar that he has the talent that is needed, when you have that much talent you are fast on any bike. I think he will also soon learn how to handle the tires better in race conditions. He rode really well, when I followed him in the race I realized how fast he is in very wide corners. It happens a lot to riders coming from Moto2."
Do you see yourself in the Ducati Factory team in 2024?
"My situation is different than in the past, because I used to know very early on where I would race the following season. Now I don't think about it, I just want to stay focused on myself, I want to have fun on the track. Then I know that if I have fun and I'm fast, I can have a chance to choose a team. But until now I don't want to talk about it, I just want to think about what I'm going to do on the track here, I'm going to give 100 percent all the time. I know that in sports it's the present that counts, not the past. The present is today and I have to work on it because there are at least four riders faster than me. I think I'll need another four or five races to get where I want to be, I'm adapting pretty well as a style, I'm understanding my bike now."
And having a Ducati Factory in Gresini? Maybe you would have less pressure.
"I'm not going to answer that because I already have. The pressure is the same. Because a rider is happy if he gets on the podium, and so is the team, that's our goal. Podium is better than making a top five, winning is better than just making podium. The fact that there is a more playful atmosphere in the team doesn't mean that there is less pressure or that there are no ambitions. They are the same as in a Factory team. But it is true that there are fewer people in the team, and that makes the atmosphere more familiar. But when I was in Repsol Honda the atmosphere was correct. The culture is different between Japanese and Italian. Any atmosphere is good if the results are good."
In your opinion, in what ways is the Ducati GP24 better than the 23?
"I don't know, for me the GP24 is not better than mine. I have what I have, I feel good on the GP23. Maybe the 24 will be better in some aspects, but I haven't yet touched the real limit of my bike now, I'm working on it and only after that I can understand the difference."
What do you think of the new generation of riders coming from Moto2?
"Young riders ride differently. I used to use my elbow, they use their shoulder! They bend a lot with their body, but you always have to figure out what your style is. For example, Aleix Espargaró is very fast and uses an old style when he is riding. In the end you have to adapt to the bike, to make the most of it. But it is true that when you come from Moto2 to MotoGP at the beginning you are very fast, then you start to lose this characteristic but you start to manage the tires better. When I came here I learned a lot from Valentino, Lorenzo, Pedrosa. Now I learn from the young guys who come with a different style."
Do you sometimes feel old compared to your rivals?
"I feel more experienced! I often talk about it with the people around me. Now things are different, I struggled with Valentino in 2013, Pedro Acosta struggled with me. I think it's normal, it's part of the sport. Everyone has their period, then riders younger and younger than you come and try to take you out. It's normal, I'm more experienced, but when I was younger maybe I was less aware of what I was doing and I often did well. Now I am more conservative, using my experience. I will never be as fast as I was 10 years ago, because when you are young you have extra. But you can take advantage of the extra experience, and that's crucial. In Qatar I was calm, quiet and I would like to continue in that way. I want to learn from the best Ducati riders."
Soon the regulations from 2027 will be decided. What would you like the perfect MotoGP to look like?
"It depends on what you mean by a perfect bike. If you want a MotoGP designed for the show or if you want a bike that is just perfect. I prefer that we go toward the show. If we take away the aerodynamics and other devices, I think the show would be better, because today it's hard to overtake. On the other hand, if you want the perfect bike, you just insist on aerodynamics and other things, but people at home don't realize if you are going faster or slower by one second. I would like a bike with less aerodynamics, I'm sure for the show it would be better."
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