Marc Márquez was able to continue his adaptation to the Ducati Desmosedici GP23 this Tuesday on the first day of MotoGP testing in Sepang. And despite the various technical problems he faced, he has drawn some further conclusions about his new bike.
The Gresini’s Spaniard noted that he felt many differences compared to the Valencia test: ‘The bike is very different, but for a rider when a circuit is good for you, it will be good for any bike. Then when it’s a circuit where you struggle like here in Malaysia – where I struggled a lot in my history – isn’t like Valencia. The feeling is very different and I can’t compare with another Ducati. In some corners I’m the same, in some corners I’m still a bit slow. And now I need to adjust and understand what they’re doing’.
According to Márquez, the way he has to ride the Ducati in Sepang is very different from the Honda, unlike what happened in Valencia – being in an adaptation process: ‘For example, in Valencia the way to ride the bike comparing both bikes was very similar, but here the riding style is changing a lot. The way to open the gas, the way to use the lines, the track, is very different. I was used to ride in one way and the way to ride Ducati here to take the maximum profit is completely different. In fact in the morning I was riding like Honda the laps I was able to do, and I was shaking more the bike and struggling more. But then in the afternoon I started to understand better and tomorrow I still need to do more laps and try to work in the pace’.
Asked about what makes the riding of his previous and current bikes different, #93 explained: ‘Basically with Honda you’re using a lot the front balance, with Ducati you’re using more the rear. And I was used to ride a lot with the front and massive pick-up. With Ducati, I still need to understand the way to do’.
Regarding the fact that he lost track time due to the problems that affected him, Márquez played down: ‘The good thing is that we have a three-days test. In the end I did a lot of laps, but they weren’t quality laps – which is the point, you are always looking for quality laps and today I wasn’t able and then I didn’t take the rhythm. But it’s the first day, I have two more days just to adapt the bike and to adapt myself to the bike. So it will not change a lot’.