Marc Marquez questioned about sandbagging at Qatar MotoGP test
Is Marc Marquez withholding his true potential at the🌌 Qatar MotoGP preseason test?
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Marc Marquez has denied that he is sandbagging at the preseason MotoGP test in Qatar.
Marquez ﷽was 16th-fastest on Monday, the first of two days 🌟testing in Qatar.
He was +0ꦯ.919s behind le🦩ader Francesco Bagnaia, while Jorge Martin was second.
Some within the MotoGP paddock have wondered if the ne🍌w Gresini Ducati rider is intentionally holding back his tru൩e performance until the first race of the 2024 season.
Ma💯rquez was asked, after Monday at the Qatar test, if he is withholding some of his competitiveness.
“No. Of course I am pushing,” Marquez sai🧸d, shrugging.
“Everybody is pushing in the test.
“But I need to understand a few things.
“[Tuesday] is an important day to understand the pace that 💙we wi♏ll have for the season.
“Of course, in the season you can adapt.
“It was not bad. 🔯It was good, es🌺pecially in the last part of the day.
“As in♋ Malaysia, I started to feel better and better.
“[Tuesꦦday] will be the time to do more laps. The track co❀nditions will be better.
“We can work from the beginning.”
Marquez was sixth in a sprint simulation༺ on Monday, an area where he also caught the eye during the preseason Sepang test.
But it was noticeable that the final timeshe꧒et showed Marquez as the slowest Ducati, except for test rider🃏 Michele Pirro.
He summarised 🦹his Monday: “Today I feel better. I we𓃲nt out, I played more with the bike.
“I was sliding on entry, this is my style.
“Let’s see if on [Tuesday] I can take𝓡 another 🌸step.
“It’s true that Bagnaia and Martin🍎 are faster than all the Ducatis.
“Then, there is a group. We need to understand how to ride, especially in a few corners where we were losing too much.♍”
Marquez will ride a GP23 Ducati t💧his year, while title rivals Bagnaia and Martin hop onto the newer bike.
ꦆThe eight-time world champion has been busy setting up laꦜst season’s title-winning machine to his own liking.
Marquez saiꦓd a☂bout his bike: “Yeah, not bad. It’s working well, the bike, in Qatar.
“It’s different from what I remember in October.
“It’s true that we are working in a good way, we did a few steps, espeﷺcially in the end.
“I can’t wait til [Tuesday♐] to keep riding an💖d to learn more and more.”
James was ꧙a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade coveri๊ng everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
