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MotoGP, Marc Marquez: "It's a pleasure to be here fighting with the Ducati GP24s."

"Pecco is making a difference at Mugello, but I'm happy with the speed I showed and the fact that I was the second Ducati on the track. How important is it to have beaten Martin? As in the other races."

MotoGP: Marc Marquez:

After putting on a show in the last championship outings, Marc Marquez also confirmed himself at Mugello as one of the great protagonists of this season, hitting his sixth consecutive podium, with the place of honor clawed in the Tuscan Sprint Race. A second place that was the result of one of the best qualifications of the Catalan rider, who started on the second row and soon got rid of Brad Binder and Jorge Martin, before trying to blow away Francesco Bagnaia for the success of the short race. An attack that failed for the Team Gresini rider, who was nevertheless satisfied with the result of the race.

"I don't think with a couple more laps I would have been closer to Pecco. The fact that I started on the second row was a little bit what made me miss the race, in any case, it has to be said that he has a little bit more than us - remarked Marc - It's since FP1 that he's a little bit faster and he seems to ride a little bit easier, in fact he had won the last two races here. The third sector is his strong point. He's been very fast all weekend in Turns 8 and 9, which are where I lose the most, although I compensate in other places. This is one of the circuits where he is very strong, but nevertheless I was very close. I gave 100 percent to make a comeback and get to second as soon as possible, and I had to push hard on the rear tire because I knew Pecco would try to take the margin, just like he did. I tried to patch up a little bit at a time, but with two laps to go I tried to attack and I made a mistake in Turn 10, just where I crashed this morning, and I gave up. I'm happy, though. I'm happy with the speed and the fact that once again we were here fighting with the best Ducati riders and being the second Ducati on the track."

Regarding the dynamics of the crash in Q2, which prevented him from taking pole position, the eight-time world champion explained, "I crashed because I was coming two tenths stronger than the 1'44"5 time. I'm always attacking, but today I told myself that it didn't matter what would happen, because I knew it was crucial to be in the front group. That's why I got so fast coming out of Turn 9 and braked late in Turn 10 and the result was the crash."

Speaking precisely about the importance of starting at the front, the eldest of the Marquez brothers will have the opportunity to start from the front row tomorrow, benefiting from the three-position penalty given to Bagnaia.

"One of the keys to Pecco's success today was commanding the race from the start, so tomorrow we'll see if I can get a better start. I will stay focused, although, honestly speaking, I prefer to start 4th rather than 3rd, because the difference is minimal, but by starting 4th you can brake better in the first corner. Other than that, we'll see what we can do ," commented the 31-year-old, then going into his chances of winning the Grand Prix: "Being second today is better than nothing, because it means you're only one position away from winning, but let's say it's not something I'm obsessed with. Being here at Mugello fighting with the top riders already satisfies me. For me it's a pleasure to fight against the 2024 Ducatis, especially because Pecco has made the difference here, but it seems that in addition to him and Martin, Bastianini and Morbidelli are also going very fast, and I was much faster than riders who were very fast here last year, like my brother and Bezzecchi, but also Di Giannantonio who is usually fast here. That makes me very happy."

With all the market rumors surrounding them, beating Martin in the Sprint could have special importance for the eight-time world champion, but he doesn't really see it that way.

"It's just as important as in the other races. As you can see, my weekend was not very affected by the market. I have quite a lot of experience in MotoGP and I repeat again that I am not panicking because I have three scenarios in which I feel comfortable, happy and satisfied and that is why I am calm. Last year I was in a much more complicated situation. It was a much more difficult choice," Marc stressed , "I believe that today and tomorrow's races don't change anything. In the end, Ducati and the engineers know what I can do, my progression this season, so I'm happy, calm and I'm giving 100 percent. I am working well with the engineers and even being in a satellite team I feel important and this can be something that gives me confidence."

Asked about the dangerousness of his pass near the wall while he was fighting with Binder, the Catalan explained, "It was not Binder's mistake, but more my decision, because Binder did not know I was there. That was the normal trajectory, but I told myself it was the only way to pass him under braking, because otherwise he would have come back in front."

In the last line, the Team Gresini rider commented on the choice of tires for the Italian GP and the evolution made by the tires produced by Michelin.

"For me the soft might be a good option, but we'll see how the medium will go tomorrow in the Warm Up," he said, " The times we are doing are fantastic. We are faster every time, and it seems that this year it's not only because the bikes have progressed, but also because the Michelin rear tire has improved a lot. It has a lot more grip, even in the maximum lean angle, and this is one of those aspects that we benefit a lot from in qualifying. As for the front, I don't really like the direction they are going, in fact the front tire was not liked by many riders. I don't know what direction they will take next year, but the tire that works best is the 'H,' which is what we have been using for the last four or five years."

Automatic Translation by DeepL

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