Marc Márquez (Ducati) has been the main protagonist this Tuesday in the official tests held at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Cheste (Valencia), on an exciting day for the Cervera rider with Gresini Racing, fourth and flirting with the best times of the day. The day has also left the best time of Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) and the MotoGP debut of Pedro Acosta (GasGas), which has ridden a top class machine for the first time showing a very high level.
Just two days after ending the 2023 season, in which the Italian Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) has been proclaimed MotoGP champion ahead of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), the Ricardo Tormo Circuit hosts the first test bench for next year. With many team changes and several prototypes on the Cheste track, most factories tested various aerodynamic settings and weight reductions, which seem key for 2024.
He sold out I was already anticipating a high expectation to enjoy Márquez, eight-time world champion, ridden the Ducati for the first time. And the fans and all the paddock They had to wait a little over an hour, at 11:14 a.m., to see Márquez put on his helmet and ride a black Gresini machine—for contractual reasons—on which he flew in the Valencia test.
The man from Cervera completed a first round of eight laps in which he was able to acclimatise little by little, without taking too many risks, focused on getting good feelings. However, on his seventh lap on the Ducati he placed third, only behind the South African Brad Binder y Alex Marquez. An outstanding first contact that left one of the images of the test, when Marc removed his helmet in the box with a broad smile, confirming that he is satisfied, for now, with the change. “Impressive,” he said. Davide TardozziDucati Team Manager, Márquez’s start with the Italian motorcycle, much better than expected, even within the factory.
Before, around 11 in the morning, the Murcian Pedro Acosta, brand new Moto2 champion, got on his impressive MotoGP for the first time. As is normal for a rookie, he was cautious at the beginning, even without exceeding 300 km/h on the finish line and making use of the power of his machine, and finishing eighteenth.
After two hours of testing, Jorge Martin He was the fastest with a 1:30.325 in his first run, which ended earlier than expected due to a fall, although he later suffered the second in the final stretch of his trials. He podium Of those first 120 minutes, Álex Márquez (Ducati) completed it, just 44 thousandths behind, and the champion, Bagnaia (Ducati), one tenth behind.
Likewise, the Valencian route also saw the premiere of Alex Rins with Yamaha, the one from the Italian Luca Marini with the Honda – he finished ahead of Joan Mir – or that of Johann Zarco y Franco Morbidelli with the Ducati. All this on a day in which up to 5,000 spectators came to experience first-hand all the news of the 2024 season, before the two-month break.
2023-11-28 17:11:15
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