Gresini’s Marc Marquez says he’s now not two or three steps behind MotoGP title contenders Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin after displaying sturdy tempo in Friday apply 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 apply 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 steadily discovering extra tempo to be aggressive on race day.
Having lastly managed to be on the tempo instantly at the beginning 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 loads on the race tempo and did errors [in FP1], as a result of we had an analogous drawback to Austin with the brakes, however then the workforce 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 model after which I used to be in a position to 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 truth, within the final races I felt we have been two, even three steps behind the highest guys and on this race in the mean time we’re one step behind the highest guys. So that is already a superb signal.”
Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Regardless of scoring 4 grands prix podiums to date 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 among the finest Fridays he has loved to date, 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 profitable the Austrian GP, a race he by no means received throughout his time at Honda, the Spaniard mentioned: “No. I’ll prefer 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 examine if tomorrow I can work with the small particulars and be a bit extra fixed.”
Whereas Ducati has usually gone round properly in Austria, with seven of its eight runners ending inside the highest 10, Marquez additionally believes tyres are enjoying a task in his improved kind on the circuit.
Spielberg is without doubt one of the three tracks the place Michelin is bringing a distinct profile of tyres, offering reduction to these riders that haven’t absolutely gelled with its normal 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 manner from the sting to the traction.
“I really feel like [it’s] altering loads the grip between one and [the other tyre type], it is like two completely different tyres. However with this one it is rather more pure, and for me the motion of the bike is extra predictable.”
