Marc Marquez secured a remarkable second-place finish in the Malaysian MotoGP Sprint, a feat that seemed improbable after a challenging practice session on Friday. The seasoned rider struggled to find his rhythm and ended the practice in 10th position, well behind the leading contenders.
Despite his earlier difficulties, Marquez made an impressive turnaround in qualifying, securing the fifth spot on the grid. His strong start in the Sprint catapulted him into contention for the podium. “It was a super-good start, and this helps a lot with my race,” Marquez remarked after the event. “The Sprint was something unexpected, because in practice, the GP24s—not only the GP24s, but also Pecco [Bagnaia] and [Jorge] Martin—had me far from their level. But when I saw that the lap time was there, with a 1:57, I thought, ‘Okay, let’s see what we can do.’ Finishing on the podium was unexpected but also super-good.”
In a heartfelt gesture, Marquez dedicated his podium finish to the victims of the recent tragedy in Valencia, expressing his condolences and support for the affected community.
The key to Marquez’s success in the Sprint, he explained, was not only his strong start but also the evolving relationship with his Gresini team. This season, Marquez has cultivated a rapport with his crew that allowed him to confidently experiment with a new setup during qualifying, despite not having tested it in practice. “The team did a very good job. We changed the setup—earlier in the season, for example, we were not able to do that,” he said. “Now we have the experience of one year with the bike and with the technicians. When I encounter problems, I know what I need from the bike, and they know what I need for my riding style. This helps a lot to fix the issues and take risks.”
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Marquez will face a new challenge as he transitions to the Ducati Lenovo Team, where he will work with crew chief Marco Rigamonti. Reflecting on his career, Marquez acknowledged the importance of maintaining a strong team dynamic. “In my career, I always try to keep the same people because you can have a very good rider or a very good technician, but if you don’t have the human connection, it’s impossible to have a good group and do good work,” he stated.
Despite the upcoming transition, Marquez remains optimistic. “Having the experience of one year with this bike will ease the transition. Plus, I am joining a factory bike in a factory team that has all the information from this year, which provides very good possibilities to help me.”
With his recent performance, Marquez has demonstrated his resilience and adaptability, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the season and a promising future with Ducati.
Leave a Reply