Gresini’s Marc Marquez says he’s now not two or three steps behind MotoGP title contenders Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin after displaying robust tempo in Friday follow for the Austrian GP.
On the brief 10-corner Spielberg circuit, Marquez posted a time of 1m28.858s on his Ducati GP23 bike in second follow to complete fourth-fastest, trailing pacesetter Bagnaia by simply 0.350s.
Extra impressively, he lapped inside half a tenth of Pramac duo Franco Morbidelli and Martin, who have been second and third respectively on the finish of the hour-long session.
It was an enormous departure from the shape he has proven in latest rounds, the place he began on the again foot on Friday earlier than regularly discovering extra tempo to be aggressive on race day.
Having lastly managed to be on the tempo instantly at first of the race weekend, as he had prioritised after the British Grand Prix, Marquez feels he has now considerably closed the hole to MotoGP’s frontrunners in Austria.
“I used to be struggling so much on the race tempo and did errors [in FP1], as a result of we had the same drawback to Austin with the brakes, however then the group with expertise of Austin did a step within the afternoon and the sensation was a lot better,” he defined.
“Additionally, they gave me some tips about the using type after which I used to be capable of assault and that makes me a bit extra fixed on the race tempo.
“I felt good. The sensation with the bike was a lot better than the final races. In actual fact, within the final races I felt we have been two, even three steps behind the highest guys and on this race for the time being we’re one step behind the highest guys. So that is already an excellent signal.”
Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
Regardless of scoring 4 grands prix podiums to this point in 2024, together with three in a row between Jerez and Barcelona, Marquez has but to face on the highest step of the rostrum with Ducati.
Whereas admitting that this was the most effective Fridays he has loved to this point, the six-time champion nonetheless feels he’s not in the identical group as Bagnaia and Martin at Spielberg.
Requested if he believes he has a shot at successful the Austrian GP, a race he by no means received throughout his time at Honda, the Spaniard mentioned: “No. I’ll wish to say sure however sadly [not].
“It is true that we’re nearer and I really feel like one step behind Bagnaia and Martin, who’re the highest guys.
“Then we’re the second group with Morbidelli, Bastianini and me. So let’s have a look at if tomorrow I can work with the small particulars and be a bit extra fixed.”
Whereas Ducati has usually gone round effectively in Austria, with seven of its eight runners ending inside the highest 10, Marquez additionally believes tyres are taking part in a job in his improved kind on the circuit.
Spielberg is without doubt one of the three tracks the place Michelin is bringing a special profile of tyres, offering reduction to these riders that haven’t absolutely gelled with its customary 2024 rubber.
“For me with this tyre, I really feel extra pure,” he mentioned. “With the brand new rear tyre they introduced this yr [for the majority of the season but not Spielberg], the brand new know-how, I do not really feel it in a pure means from the sting to the traction.
“I really feel like [it’s] altering so much the grip between one and [the other tyre type], it is like two totally different tyres. However with this one it is rather more pure, and for me the motion of the bike is extra predictable.”
