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The Jerez circuit, named after that very same Angel Nieto whose record of 90 victories in Qatar Marc Marquez surpassed, welcomes the purely Spanish rider as the world championship leader with 123 points, 17 points ahead of the first of the pursuers Alex Marquez. The King (proclaimed by Tardozzi) Martian therefore returns to his homeland and the expectations placed on his shoulders are enormous, thanks to a near-perfect start to the season that has so far left little room for maneuver for his opponents. In the great Ducati 'castle' coexistence with Prince Bagnaia (always according to Tardozzi) therefore seems to continue seemingly without mutual rancor, but while on the one hand the Turin rider's history plays in his favor on the Spanish track, Marc's declarations that he seems to see no limit to his own means make even the most ardent of detractors tremble. The only certainty is that Jerez historically lends itself well to direct confrontations, to decisive duels, and nothing would be more exciting than witnessing a Battle Royale for the Ducati crown, assuming the other Ducati riders aree in agreement and do not aim for a big surprise.
Jerez for the Spanish rider has a special meaning, you get there after a dominant start to the season, expectations on you are very high.
"Obviously racing on a Spanish circuit has a special flavor," Marc began, "but in the end it's still a GP. I know there will be a lot of spectators and obviously they will be cheering for the Spanish as well. I have the experience to handle a weekend like this and to get a good performance on the track, because it will be a busy weekend so keeping focused will not be easy. We are coming to a circuit that is radically different from the ones we have raced at in the past few weeks. Pecco has won here in recent years so I know he will be one of the main contenders I will have to deal with."
Last year you came here on the GP23. What is the big difference since then compared to your current bike?
"The difference is big compared to the GP24.5, because of my riding style that relies a lot on corner entry. In that aspect with the GP23 I was very limited, while with the current one the feeling is very good. So good that they keep improving and I have a hard time seeing the limit of the bike. With the 2023 I was crashing a lot with the new tires, now even from that point of view the sensations are better. I'm really curious to see how the bike will perform at a different circuit from the previous ones, like here in Jerez."
Do you think your riding style has improved again, do you feel stronger than in 2020?
"No, my level on the Honda was incredible, as was my feeling and physical condition. Now I simply feel different, it's not a matter of better or worse. I am fast but it is still difficult to understand the limit. On the Honda I raced for years, I was familiar with its limits and where I could improve, while with the Ducati I keep discovering new areas where I can improve, like what happened in Qatar regarding right-hand turns."
This weekend Ducati can equal Honda's record of 22 consecutive wins in the premier class. How far do you think Ducati can go, is winning every race of the season possible?
"Why not? Ducati has the best bike on the grid, it has proven to be competitive at every track and in every condition. But as we saw in Qatar, there are still opponents, as Vinales showed with the KTM, so it will be important for Ducati to continue working in this direction."
Speaking of Vinales, what do you think about the pressure rule?
"I think it is a decision in the head of Michelin, because it is a safety issue. What perhaps could be worked on would be to reduce the percentage of laps involved."
With Ducati so far you have had a near-perfect start to the season, but you have won a lot before. Are you more satisfied with winning with the current best bike or when you were on the Honda?
"The satisfaction is the same. When I was on Honda the last few years I was fighting against the other manufacturers, now I fight against riders from the same manufacturer, teammates on the same bike. They can see my data and I can see theirs, and that makes it different. I remember in Honda I was constantly struggling with the bike and yet I was there. Now with the Ducati, although it is physically demanding, everything runs smoothly. I ride comfortably and that relaxes me."
Tardozzi talking about you and Pecco recently compared you to the king and prince of Ducati.
"We are in the Ducati castle, it's an honor to be part of it," jokes the Spaniard.
Already in the past you found yourself fighting with your teammate, at the time it was Pedrosa.
"When I arrived in MotoGP I was lucky enough to meet the best teacher, thanks to Dani Pedrosa I learned how to ride a MotoGP bike. My riding style at the beginning was very similar to his, because I tried to copy him, although in some aspects it was impossible because he was really precise. Now at the threshold of 32 years old, my riding style is only mine, but Pecco does some different things, so I still try to make an effort to copy from him and thus improve my riding style. As for the fight, when we are on the track for me it is another bike, with my own colors of course, I fight with Pecco as I fight with my brother Alex. It's clear that as a team the goal is to take the factory team to the top."
On Monday there will be testing, with which bike do you plan to arrive at Le Mans, will you switch to a new version?
"It's part of the competition. We saw it in Qatar, Pecco and I had small differences in aerodynamics, in the tail. As a Ducati team we have to keep working, because we are there in the lead but we can't afford any missteps, our rivals are waiting for nothing else and they are also improving."
This race will also be broadcast free-to-air by DAZN in Spain.
"For me it is fundamental, if MotoGP wants to grow and create superheroes and big names in motorcycling, you have to reach more people. The more people you reach, the better, and a free-to-air race reaches a much larger audience, an audience that maybe has become detached from MotoGP or doesn't follow it much. It's also a way to get them back on board."
At the end of the conference, Marquez's final words were for the many children who dream of one day becoming riders. It all stems from the words of an 11-year-old Spanish boy, Manuel Reche, who threw down the gauntlet to the Ducati champion. To the rider from Cervera the freedom of choice on 'weapons,' be it a motorcycle or a circuit, for an equal fight.
"Don't leave school," was the Spaniard's warning to kids and parents, "I put myself in the shoes of every kid starting out. When I was watching Valentino (Rossi), Pedrosa or Lorenzo on TV, I had a reference point and idols, but I always tell young people the same thing: enjoy the passion, without being obsessed with it. It is the child who has to enjoy the bike, he is the one who has to ask for it. He has to like it and, from there, hopefully he will get on. If he is 11 years old, I don't think we will ever race together (laughs). Let him be calm, and when I retire, if it comes, we will have the opportunity. Now I have more to lose. When I go to the racetrack and meet the kids, I see that they are going very fast but most importantly, and this is a piece of advice to families, it is important that a child at 11 years old cannot leave school to devote himself to motorcycles. You can't know if they are going to be into motorcycles at that age, and school is training for life, and for motorcycles, because it gives you discipline. I always tell them not to leave school, not to think that they will dedicate themselves to it and to enjoy their passion because if the time comes, it will come."
