Marc Marquez Not Yet Aiming for COTA "Sheriff" Status
Marc Marquez tempered expectations of achieving an eighth win at COTA this weekend, but a podium is the target.
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The Gresini team racer, Marc Marquez, rode his motorcycle after passing the finish line at the Portugal MotoGP series at the Algarve Circuit in Portimao, Portugal, on Sunday (24/3/2024).
AUSTIN, THURSDAY – Marc Marquez takes center stage in the MotoGP American series this weekend because he has dominated the COTA track with seven wins since 2013. However, the Gresini Racing team racer is trying to dampen these expectations by intending to just enjoy racing on the counterclockwise track. However, Marquez also admitted that finishing on the podium would be his target.
Marquez arrives at COTA on the positive momentum he achieved at Portimao two weeks ago. Despite being involved in an accident with Francesco Bagnaia in the battle for fifth place, Maquez showed himself to be increasingly competitive on the Ducati Desmosedici GP23. This increasingly solid adaptation strengthens Marquez's hopes that he will be able to fight for victory at COTA, a track where he was crowned sheriff with seven wins, six of them in a row.
"We arrived at a good racing track for my driving style. Clearly, in the past, we achieved a lot of good results, but now - as we can see in Portimao - there are three or four racers who are faster than me," Marquez said in a press conference on Friday (12/4/2024) early morning Western Indonesian Time.
"So, let's just see if I can get a little closer. If today, Thursday (Friday WIB), you say, 'You will reach the first podium (with Ducati),' I will agree. I mean, before winning, we have to be on the podium. So, step by step," continued Marquez.
Also read: Francesco Bagnaia's Self-Redemption at COTA
Ducati Lenovo rider, Francesco Bagnaia, was driving his motorcycle around a turn followed by Ducati Gresini Racing rider, Marc Marquez, during the MotoGP Grand Prix Portugal race at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao, Portugal, on Sunday (24/3/2024).
Marquez's performance with Ducati has been consistently improving since pre-season testing, and he even managed to have a solid performance in the opening race in Qatar. Despite Lusail not being a circuit that suits his racing style. During his golden era with Honda, he only won once in Lusail in 2014. However, with Ducati, in his first race, Marquez was able to achieve sixth position on the starting grid, then finished fifth in the sprint, and fourth in the main race.
In the second race of the series in Portimao two weeks ago, Marquez finished in second place in the sprint race, surpassing the two best Ducati riders, Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia, who finished in third and fourth place respectively. However, in the main race of the Portugal series, he fell with Bagnaia while fighting for fifth place.
The progress of Marquez's adaptation process will now be tested at COTA, a track that really suits Marquez's riding style. However, this time he rode a Ducati, which is different from the Honda which is very strong in stop and go.
"Of course they (Honda and Ducati) are motorbikes with very different concepts. Honda is very strong in stop and go corners. "For example, Alex Rins showed that last year here, and more or less like what Joan Mir and I showed in India," said Marquez.
Also read: Fabio Quartararo to stay at Yamaha until 2026
We arrived at a race track that was good for my riding style.
Gresini Racing racer, Marc Marquez, smiled as he celebrated after the sprint race of the MotoGP Grand Prix series in Portugal at the Algarve International Circuit, Portimao, on Saturday (23/3/2024).
"We'll just see how Ducati works here. I know it will be different, but my goal is to try to flow on this track. This is the type of track I like. So we will try to enjoy it and then we will see (what we can do)," said the Spanish racer.
One of the factors that makes Marquez so strong at COTA is that this circuit is anticlockwise, counter-clockwise, and has the character of stop and go bends.
”The main reason is that (counterclockwise) and there are more turns to the left than to the right. This is the biggest difference. And, also I like the stop and go corners.
"Despite that, I had one of my best moments in my career here, which was when I achieved my first victory in MotoGP, in the second race," continued Marquez.
Also read: Waiting for Marc Marquez's Ferocity at Portimao
Gresini Racing team rider, Marc Marquez, raced his motorcycle on the first day of MotoGP preseason testing at Lusail Circuit in Doha, Qatar on Monday (19/2/2024).
"It will be difficult to achieve victory (this weekend) because, as I have said, first and foremost, we have to achieve better results in Sunday's race. At this time, we cannot even fight for a podium finish. We are in the top five, but the podium cannot be reached yet," said Marquez.
The competition to reach the podium at COTA will not be far from the previous competition, namely between Ducati, KTM and Aprilia riders. Bagnaia, Martin and Enea Bastianini will be Marquez's opponents from fellow Desmosedici GP drivers. Meanwhile, Brad Binder, who is increasingly enjoying the progress made by KTM, will be competitive again. Another surprise could be shown by rookie Pedro Acosta. The Gasgas Tech3 team racer won the third podium in the main race in Portimao.
The potential competition poses a challenge for Bagnaia who is trying to achieve his third consecutive title this season. However, he is currently in fourth place in the standings after failing to score points in the main race in Portimao.
"This is the track that I like. Last year, I was very competitive. I felt very good and there was no one else. I made mistakes and accidents in the race, but I think we worked well. As usual, we will be competitive again," said Bagnaia.
Also read: Marquez No Pressure, No Panic
Repsol Honda racer Marc Marquez, in a photo archive dated March 3, 2022, ahead of the MotoGP Qatar series at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar. Marquez is ready to compete in the MotoGP America race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, United States, this weekend after experiencing diplopia due to a fall at the Mandalika Circuit.
Last season, he put on a solid performance at COTA with a front-row start and winning the sprint. However, in the main race, he fell in turn three while leading the race.
"It's a different track compared to Portimao, so we'll see what we can do and whether we can improve the feeling we had at Portimao, which made us experience some problems in the race," said Bagnaia.
Bagnaia's teammate at Ducati Lenovo team, Enea Bastianini, is also motivated to repeat his victory in Austin in 2021. He is currently in a positive momentum after achieving second place on the podium in the main race at Portimao.
"I am very enthusiastic and confident thanks to our recent performance. I know the competition will be very tough in Austin, but we are not coming empty-handed. We have a basis to build on and we are well aware of the areas that need improvement," said Bastianini.
