P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Marc Marquez did his best to play down expectations for his debut Gresini Ducati MotoGP season, insisting it will ‘not be normal’ to be at the same level as Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin from round one.
Despite having a promising debut with Ducati at the Valencia test in November, where he was the fourth fastest, Marc Marquez is now considered the favorite by bookmakers to win the 2024 title, ahead of current champions Bagnaia and Martin. During the team launch in Riccione, Marquez stated that his goal is to be fast on the track and improve his performance if possible, but he also emphasized the need to manage expectations. Marquez acknowledged that there is a lot of pressure on him, but he wants to focus on his own work in the garage and remain calm, especially at the beginning of the season. He stated that his main priority is to adapt to the Ducati, as he has not been able to win a race in the past two years and he is joining a team where both Bagnaia and Martin have achieved great success. Marquez believes that he cannot expect to be at their level immediately upon joining the team and that it will take time to adjust to the bike and be competitive.
