After three disappointing years on the Honda, Alex Marquez makes his debut on the Ducati: it will be a crucial year for the Catalan rider in his career.
For Alex Marquez, 2023 will have to be the year of change. Joining Gresini Racing, astride the Ducati GP22, will represent a change of gear for the two-time world champion after three difficult years with Honda. Debut in 2020 with the Repsol-branded factory team in which he collected two podiums, then another two seasons in which he collected little or nothing, to the point of dampening his motivation and pushing him to look elsewhere.
Together with her former manager Emilio Alzamora she found the best accommodation in Nadia Padovani’s satellite team. You are in the right place at the right time, with the Borgo Panigale manufacturer that can provide you with a competitive bike, as Pecco Bagnaia demonstrated with his victory in the 2022 World Championship and Enea Bastianini with third place in the final standings. The goal is to try and repeat the great feat of the ‘Beast’, who moved to the factory Ducati after the four victories and two podiums collected in the last World Championship.
Alex Marquez and the confrontation with his brother Marc
In the Valencia test he got a taste of the Desmosedici’s potential, being surprised by its power and ease of riding. Unlike his brother Marc Marquez, rather embittered by the lack of useful updates on his Honda. The two brothers continued to train together over the winter, but will be competing for different brands in MotoGP for the first time. “The work and the atmosphere with my brother are the same as always. We are professionals and know how to separate things from the circuit and external ones. We don’t share information about MotoGP, we continue to train as we always have“.
Although he will have a Ducati at his disposal, he doesn’t think he’s the favorite over Marc Marquez. “When you start the world championship you are like the others, everyone starts from scratch – added the new driver of the Gresini Racing team -. It’s true that Ducati has had a very good year and Honda has had a lot of problems. Marc is the best rider on the grid, he has won many championships and is one of the favorites this year“.
The Desmosedici GP is a very different bike from the RC213V, starting with the ergonomic position. It requires a different position on the saddle, has a more comfortable seat and allows you to set excellent lap times from the very first approach. However, Alex Marquez will have to put his best into adapting his riding style, so he will have to make the most of the preseason to get to the first round of the season in Portimao in the best possible way. “The championship is very long, but by working together I hope to have a good championship“.
