Метка: Gresini Racing

Marquez «very far» from front after «feeling lost» in British GP practice

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The six-time MotoGP champion appeared to be off-colour at Silverstone on Friday, suffering a late crash in the morning session and then having to get a tow from Pramac’s Jorge Martin in order to secure a direct passage into the second part of qualifying.

While Ducati looked rapid at the 5.9km venue, with even VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi finishing sixth and ninth on last year’s GP23, Marquez struggled in comparison on the same-spec bike and was classified a distant 10th in FP2.

The Spaniard set a rapid time in the first sector on a number of occasions but fell adrift of his rivals later in the lap as he struggled with corner entry and rear grip.

Explaining his struggles afterwards, Marquez conceded that he was “very far” from his rivals after the first day of running at Silverstone.

“The circuit is a long circuit with very fast corners and if you struggle a little bit, the difference at the end of the lap is a lot,” he said.

“We can say that from the first lap of FP1 that I started in the opposite way. On riding and feeling with the bike, everything was super difficult to understand. 

“I tried to work on myself, the technicians tried to work on the set-up and in the afternoon [it felt better], but still we are very far.”

Unlike some other race weekends of the season so far, Marquez was able to gain a direct spot into Q2, as he narrowly beat the Pramac Ducati of Franco Morbidelli to 10th place in FP2.

He described that as “the only positive thing of today” before adding that he and Gresini have a lot of work to do overnight to close the gap to the opposition.

“Today was not a good day, I’m not happy,” he said. “The only positive [thing] is we are in the top 10, but apart from that the feeling was terrible.

“I need to work on myself and we need to understand how to find a better feeling with the bike and especially [improve] the lap time.”

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Although it was only practice, Marquez tucked himself behind the faster GP24 of Martin in the final minutes of the session, hoping to gain a tow from him.

The strategy worked wonders and allowed him to post a time of 1m58.585s, while Martin went on to top the session ahead of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.

Marquez felt that he was left with no choice but to follow another rider after “feeling lost” on his bike in both sessions. 

“Today was the first day to follow somebody because today I felt I was lost,” he lamented. 

“In other race tracks, I feel like, ‘okay I’m feeling good and I can do it alone’ — and I feel better alone. But today I was lost. 

“When somebody is lost and they have the capacity to do it, they do [it]. 

“And today I went out behind Aleix [Espargaro] from the pits but Aleix didn’t push. Of course, I said I will not push too. 

“Then Martin arrived and that is where I followed Martin. But my initial plan was to follow Aleix.”

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Alex Marquez would’ve ‘traded 42 podiums for one with Marc’ before German GP

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Gresini MotoGP rider Alex Marquez says he would have traded all his previous 42 grand prix podiums for the one he achieved in last weekend’s German Grand Prix with elder brother Marc.

Alex and Marc Marquez shared a podium in MotoGP for the first time in Sunday’s race at the Sachsenring after finishing third and second respectively behind race winner Francesco Bagnaia (factory Ducati team).

It was a landmark result for the Gresini duo, as no two siblings have stood together on the rostrum in the premier class since Nubautsu and Takuma Aoki in 1997 Imola Grand Prix. Much like the Marquez brothers, they were also riding for the same manufacturer — Honda — albeit for different teams.

The third-place finish for the younger Marquez marked his 43rd podium across all three classes and came just days after he signed a new two-year contract with Gresini that will keep him at the Italian squad until the end of the current rules cycle in 2026.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the race, the 28-year-old didn’t hide the fact that he has been dreaming about celebrating a double podium result with his brother for a very long time.

«It’s a strange feeling, we are very lucky in life, we have lived many happy days, many more than we could have imagined, days when we both won in different categories, or won the title in the same year,” said Alex Marquez, a one-time champion in both Moto3 and Moto2.

“This was the next dream, I had imagined it many, many times. I would change my forty-odd podiums I have in the World Championship for this one. It is much more special to be on a podium with your brother than the previous forty without him.

Mick Doohan, Nobuatsu Aoki and Takuma Aoki

Mick Doohan, Nobuatsu Aoki and Takuma Aoki

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I hope I can repeat it and if possible with a victory and a second place. But we know it will be difficult, so, as he said, we have to celebrate and enjoy the moment, because what the World Championship has taught me and being here, above all, is that what you have today, you don’t know if you’ll have tomorrow.”

A second-place at Sachsenring was equally special for the elder Marquez, especially after having broken a finger and bruised his ribs during a high-side crash on Friday at the start of the weekend.

But the 31-year-old warned that a repeat of the result is “impossible” in 2024, with their 2023-spec GP23 bikes looking increasingly weaker against the latest-spec Desmosedicis raced by the factory and Pramac teams.

The double podium in Germany was only made possible after Pramac’s Jorge Martin crashed out of the race with two laps to go while leading from Bagnaia.

“To share the podium with my brother, we will enjoy it a lot,” said the six-time champion. “This is a day we will never forget because it will be difficult to repeat in the future.

“Honestly speaking this season it will be impossible. Why? For me it’s difficult to be on the podium, for him it’s difficult to be on the podium. So to find the same Sunday on the podium was a bit unreal.

«But in a dry race, in a very fast race, [Alex]is a very talented rider and today he showed. «The fact that he already has two more years with Gresini, [it] feels more relaxed to him and this weekend he rode in a very good way.”

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Marquez felt like he «won» in German GP after tough MotoGP weekend

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


MotoGP star Marc Marquez felt like he “won” the German Grand Prix after charging from 13th on the grid to finish second behind future team-mate Francesco Bagnaia.

Marquez has repeatedly been labelled the ‘King of Sachsenring’ thanks to his unbeaten streak at the German venue between 2011-21 in MotoGP and its junior classes, but the Spaniard’s hopes of adding a 12th victory to his tally were derailed when he crashed in Friday practice — breaking a finger on his left hand and bruising his ribcage in the fall.

A combination of mechanical troubles and traffic on his final flying lap left him 13th on the grid on a notoriously difficult track for overtaking, prompting the 31-year-old to label the German GP as the “most difficult weekend” of the year so far on Saturday.

However, the six-time MotoGP champion was able to stage an incredible recovery in the grand prix on Sunday, jumping inside the top 10 on the opening lap before slowly scything his way through the pack to claim an unlikely podium finish.

It marked his fourth result inside the top-three positions in a Sunday race this year, but while he was in jubilant mood to share the podium with younger brother Alex, he didn’t hide his frustration over a weekend that had been riddled with issues and on-track incidents.

“I feel like I won the race, this is the real feeling,” he said. “Incredible, incredible race! I didn’t expect to finish on the podium.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«The weekend has ended very well because we persisted, and because it’s [like] the Sanfermines [a Spanish festival known for the running of the bulls] .

«It’s true that we leave with a good taste in our mouths, but it was a bad weekend from which we have to learn.

«We had a lot of technical issues, I did that big mistake in Turn 11 that affected all weekend. If I had been able to square it, I would have been able to fight with Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martín.»

Marquez had to take part in Saturday’s sprint using the ‘strongest painkillers he could find’, with his ribcage — and not the fractured finger — being the chief cause of his struggles.

But the Gresini rider revealed that he was able to ride in “Marquez mode” on Sunday, having successfully completed a full recovery overnight in order to be fully fit for the grand prix..

“First thing and the most important is that today I got up and felt better with the body,” he explained. “So I arrived [this morning] and said [to my team] I feel better today and I can ride aggressively, I can ride in ‘Marquez mode’.

“Of course, the finger [is broken] but the finger was not even a limitation yesterday. The ribs yesterday were super stiff.

“But today I was able to get up and it was not any[more a] limitation. Without the crash in T11 my performance will be the same one.”

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marquez clashed with the second Pramac bike of Franco Morbidelli during their battle for fourth late on in the grand prix, with the two making contact as they exited the opening right-hander.

He was eventually able to pass Morbidelli and also overtake his brother Alex on the penultimate lap to grab second place — aided by a late error from long-time race leader Martin on the Pramac Ducati.

Marquez stated that the incident with Morbidelli kicked him on to race aggressively in the final stages of the 30-lap contest.

“We started our race trying not to stress too much the tyres, try to make that comeback in a slow way. Not panic because here it is super difficult to overtake.

“The contact with Morbidelli was the one that was unexpected and then I lost a lot of time.

“Already two laps before that incident Franco went a bit wide in Turn 1 and then there I slowed a bit the bike, but then I closed in. Two laps after he went even more wide and then I said now is the time. But he came back and we had a massive contact.

“But that point also made that click, that off [switch for riding conservatively]. Now [I went] all in.

“And then in the last laps when I was catching my brother. [There were] many question marks, what can I do, attack, take a risk? If something happens [between us] what happens [then]?

“We were both [running] in podium [positions] in the last two laps and [that] makes everything easier.”

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Alex Marquez signs new two-year deal with Gresini MotoGP team

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Alex Marquez will remain with Gresini Racing until the end of the 2026 MotoGP season after inking a fresh two-year deal.

As revealed by Motorsport.com last week, the younger Marquez will see out the current MotoGP rules era with the satellite Ducati squad after a successful adaptation to the Desmosedici following his previous struggles on the Honda RC213V.

It remains unclear who will partner Marquez at Gresini in 2025, with brother and new-for-2024 team-mate Marc Marquez having been handed a promotion to the factory Ducati outfit beginning next year.

«Staying with Gresini was my main goal,” said Alex Marquez. 

“Since I joined this team, my target has been to consistently get close to the best, and it’s something I haven’t achieved yet. 

“The start of the season wasn’t what we hoped for, but the team is strong and I know where we can go. So, I just want to thank Nadia for the trust, and I’m sure we’ll soon repay her with some celebratory pineapple pizza.»

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marquez left the Honda camp after 2022 to join Gresini last year and scored a podium in only his second race weekend with the squad in Argentina. He would go on to add another rostrum to his tally near the end of the season in Malaysia, as well as two sprint wins at Silverstone and Sepang, to secure a career-best ninth in the championship.

Although Marquez hasn’t been able to claim a top-three spot so far this year on his year-old Ducati this year, partly due to the step the Borgo Panigale marque has made with the GP24, he has been inside the top 10 in every grand prix he has finished so far.

That has put him a respectable 10th in the standings ahead of this weekend’s German Grand Prix on 62 points, just behind the factory Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro.

Combined with elder brother Marc’s stellar start to the year, the Gresini squad sits a strong third in the teams’ championship, trailing only factory Ducati and Pramac outfits.

Nadia Padovani, Gresini Racing owner, said: «Alex is our pupil. Since he joined two years ago, the synergy between him and the team has been incredible and has strengthened with each race. 

“We know his potential; he has already shown it and just needs consistency. Renewing with him was an obvious move for us because we are aware of his value both on and off the track. 

“The results will come this year too, I am absolutely certain of it.»



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Marquez penalised for tyre pressure infringement in Assen MotoGP race

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Marc Marquez has been hit with a penalty for a tyre pressure rule infraction in the MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix, dropping him to 10th.

Under the current rules, riders must race for 30% of a sprint and 60% of a grand prix within the minimum tyre pressures – which for the front is 1.8 bar (26.1psi).

Marquez fell foul of this limit in Sunday’s Assen race and has been hit with an 18-second time penalty, dropping him from fourth to 10th behind Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo.

The Gresini Ducati rider spent the entirety of the 26-lap Assen grand prix battling for the final podium place, which ultimately went to factory Ducati counterpart Enea Bastianini.

Marquez moved up to third on lap two after overtaking Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales at Turn 5 and ran in that position until an odd moment on the eighth tour.

Exiting Turn 8 Marquez looked behind him and appeared to point to the inside of Turn 9 in a message to VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio for where to overtake.

Marquez didn’t drop away from Di Giannantonio, leading to speculation that his front tyre pressure was lower than the rules permitted and he needed dirty air ahead to bring the temperature back up.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Following Marquez’s penalty, the new top 10 is as follows:

  1. Francesco Bagnaia
  2. Jorge Martin
  3. Enea Bastianini
  4. Fabio Di Giannantonio
  5. Maverick Vinales
  6. Brad Binder
  7. Alex Marquez
  8. Raul Fernandez
  9. Franco Morbidelli
  10. Marc Marquez



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Alex Marquez to stay with Gresini Ducati for MotoGP 2025

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Gresini Racing, which has a 2025 contract with Ducati to remain one of its satellite teams, has reached an agreement with Alex Marquez to extend their partnership next season.

Marquez joined Gresini in 2023 from Honda, with which he made his premier class debut in 2020.

After a first year with the factory team, due to the premature retirement of Jorge Lorenzo, the 2019 Moto2 champion was transferred to the LCR team, where he spent two seasons until the end of 2022 and where he suffered extraordinarily from the competitive slump of the RC213V.

That lack of confidence with the bike led him to look for a way out, which led to his signing with Gresini, with which he made his debut at the 2023 Portuguese GP with an encouraging fifth position, sharing the box that season with Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio, riding year-old machinery.

After two podiums in his first season with Gresini, as well as two victories in Sprint races (Great Britain and Malaysia), Marquez has welcomed his brother Marc Marquez as team-mate this year — both inheriting the Desmosedici GP23 from last year.

Turning 28 earlier this year, Alex Marquez, who came to the world championship in 2012, was Moto3 champion in 2014, and Moto2 champion in 2019.

This opened the door for a MotoGP step with Honda, which promoted him to the premier class in 2020, where he achieved podiums at the Le Mans and Aragon races.

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

With Marquez’s renewal, Gresini closes half of its rider line-up following the news earlier this month that his older brother will move to the factory Ducati team in 2025.

An official announcement is expected soon.

The 2025 grid is now shaping up quickly following Ducati’s announcement that it will field Marc Marquez in its factory squad, with Jorge Martin moving to Aprilia alongside Marco Bezzecchi.

Maverick Vinales will leave Aprilia for Tech3 KTM, joining Enea Bastianini, while the Austrian marque had already confirmed Pedro Acosta’s promotion to its factory squad next season alongside Brad Binder.

Double world champion Francesco Bagnaia signed a new Ducati deal prior to the start of the season, while Yamaha locked Fabio Quartararo down for two more seasons earlier this year.

Coming into the year, Honda already had Luca Marini and Johann Zarco on contracts through to the end of 2025, while Joan Mir looks set to stick with HRC beyond this year.

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Marquez «gave up» and accepted podium defeat in MotoGP Italian GP

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Having finally cleared the factory Ducati of Enea Bastianini on lap 18 of 23 after hounding him for much of the day, Marquez was chasing after Pramac’s Jorge Martin for second as the Mugello race neared its conclusion.

But with two laps to the finish, Bastianini was able to retaliate and retake third position on the entry to Scarperia, dropping Marquez back down to fourth and outside the podium spots.

While Bastianini went on to overtake Martin with a brilliant pass at the final corner, Marquez lost touch with the leading trio and finished over two seconds behind them in fourth.

It marked the end of his three-race podium streak in 2024 and swelled his deficit to championship leader Martin to 35 points, with seven of the 20 rounds now complete.

Speaking of his Mugello result, the 31-year-old explained that he took too much life out of his tyres while chasing Bastianini for third and didn’t have anything left to put up a fight in the final laps of the race.

“I said to you that for me it doesn’t matter [where I finish]. We know what is our right position right now and we know that here Pecco was super strong,” he said of his result. “In fact he did an incredible weekend. 

“But one more time we were very close to ’24 bikes. We were fighting for the top and I was enjoying so super happy about the weekend overall.

“It’s true that in the race I was stuck behind Bastianini. I tried to overtake him but it was impossible. In the end it was possible but I already used a lot of rear tyre.

«But when I overtook him the pace was good and I was catching step by step Martin, tenth by tenth but on the last two laps Bastianini, you see, he had like a new rear tyre. 

“He was extremely fast on the last lap. I gave up. I said time to finish fourth and in three weeks time we will have another race.”

Marquez revealed that he received two warnings while going into the opening right-hander, which was enough for him to back off from the fight and consolidate fourth position behind the trio of GP24-equipped riders.

“The front temperature go up, the front pressure go up,» he said. «I tried to come back, I tried to open a gap and come back, just tried to see what was possible to do. You can see how I braked in Turn 1 with both tyres, both tyres were sliding. I said one time is okay, but two times not anymore.”

Marquez joined the satellite Gresini squad as a six-time MotoGP champion, with his records easily making him the most successful riders in the history of the premier class.

Asked how hard it was to concede defeat in the Italian GP given his past successes, Marquez said: “[It was] easy because I won a lot but I suffered a lot. 

“And the last four years I suffered much more than I won. So not it’s easy. 

“I try today and I save some moments but it was not possible. So for me fourth place here in Mugello is a good result.”

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Gresini squad launches world-first fan-powered sponsorship programme

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Marc and Alex Marquez’s Gresini team has joined forces with MotoGP Guru and SPORTPASS to launch the world’s first fan-powered sponsorship programme. The new programme enables fans to purchase a team “micro-sponsorship package” for as little as €125 and tap into the benefits historically reserved to corporate sponsors and VIPs.

The entry-level sponsorships ranging from €125 — €350 include personalised team polo shirts and season-long access to the team sponsor portal where they can find weekend updates, unique content from the team and join online chats with the Gresini crew. Each of these provide weekly opportunities to win Paddock Experiences which includes hospitality with the team, visits to the box and even paddock scooters, reserved exclusively for the sponsors. The ultimate bragging rights come in the form of your name on either Alex or Marc’s MotoGP bike for the weekend you attend. Fan sponsors will also get to own exclusive digital passes, collectibles, invitations, and credentials.

The higher-tier sponsorship packages take luck out of the equation by offering weekend Paddock Experiences at the races you specifically choose and guarantee you your name on the bikes. They come in single packages or packages of 4, which is ideal for a company or family that wants to dip their toe in the water of team sponsorship and get the rock star experience reserved for guests of companies that invest millions of dollars in the sport.

 
Every sponsor regardless of their commitment goes in the draw to win the Ducati Panigale V4S race-prepared training bike used by the Marquez brothers in 2024. If, as in 2023, the winner of the bike either can’t use it or doesn’t want it, a USD$20,000 cash prize is the substitute.
 
«We have always had an incredibly loyal fan base not only of the team but the many riders who have achieved success in our championship projects. We could not be happier to be the first team to ever allow actual fans to become sponsors and make this available globally,» said Carlo Merlini, Gresini’s marketing director. «We look forward to innovating and engaging in new and exciting ways.»
 
SPORTPASS CEO Jordan Fogerty added: «This is a world-first in sports; we have worked with Gresini Racing to bring the fans even closer to the team and the riders they support, and do so using the latest technology to provide the security of ownership and value. 
«We hope that the SPORTPASS platform and the value it provides to fans will prove to be a turning point in the way teams and riders connect with fans as well as the brand partners, which are pivotal to enhancing fan experiences.»
 
MotoGP Guru has been a sponsor of Gresini since 2023 and also produces and publishes the official MotoGP Prediction Game.
 
To sponsor Gresini Racing, register at: fanpower.gresiniracing.com/registration



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Marc Marquez “was looking for” current MotoGP rider market buzz

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The six-time MotoGP world champion had been in the running for the factory team Ducati seat alongside Francesco Bagnaia for 2025.

However, despite his recent run of podiums just six rounds into his time on the 2023-spec Ducati at Gresini, it appears the Italian manufacturer will promote last year’s championship runner-up and current points leader Jorge Martin.

Marquez noted on Thursday ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello that moving to Pramac is “not an option”, and that staying with Ducati hinges on having a works bike at Gresini or being promoted to the factory team.

However, Pramac boss Gino Borsoi insisted on Friday his team will be the only Ducati satellite structure with works bikes in 2025.

With an offer on the table from KTM, Marquez appears to be at a crossroads in what he does in 2025.

It marks the second year in succession that Marquez has been involved in intense rider market speculation but admits this is something he was hoping for.

“No, I mean I was looking for this,” Marquez, who was fifth in Mugello practice, said when asked if he was hoping for an easier rider market situation for 2025.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“For that reason, I chose a one-year contract with Gresini last year because when I did that move, I believed in myself, I believed in my potential.

“Then if you show your potential and you are fast, then you will have options. Luckily for me, I have different options.

“But of course, I have some priorities, and the people who need to know about this, they know how I will feel comfortable and they know my priorities.”

Championship leader Martin believes Pramac is “the best team in the world” right now, having won the teams’ title in 2023, finished runner-up in the riders’ standings with the Spaniard and continuing to prove this with his current form.

Amid Marquez’s shunning of a move to Pramac, Martin feels he does not need to vindicate the team.

“There is nothing more to say, last year it was the best team in the world, first in the team classification,” Martin said.

“With that, everything is said. Right now, it is the best team in MotoGP.”

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