Gresini Team Principal Provides Concerning Assessment of Marc Marquez’s Debut Race.
Behind the scenes in Formula 1, there is a growing debate about what Marc Marquez can achieve when he is fit for GP23.
Speaking about Marquez’s first race with the team, Gresini sporting director Michel Masini said: “From an overall point of view, the harmony is good.
“It’s a tough weekend for our team on the road, which isn’t easy for us.
“It’s not one of Mark’s favorite songs as Alex always has problems, some vibrations and some grip issues.
“So we can say we left Qatar satisfied.”
“[Mark] is not far. It means he has already reached the right level.
“Obviously he still needs to know the right riding style for this Ducati when the tires start to fall off.”
“This is important and it allows him to take the next step at the end of the race.
“There are some details missing, but it’s clear that this is an evolutionary step.”
“At the end of the day, he rode a few miles on that bike.
“He changes things every day, adapts and gives us things that make us different to make it easier for him.”
“Let’s just say it’s not that far yet…”.
His teammate and brother Alex Marquez finished P7 in Gresini for the second year and P6 on Sunday in Qatar.
“Alex had a great weekend, especially in the sprints,” said Masini.
“It is clear that it is not easy to start in the third row.
“It’s KTM that starts very hard, 70% is the start. This is not easy to achieve with these tire pressure rules.
“That’s why it’s hard to get the race here, but we’re also happy with Alex.”
“I saw how Alex was very focused both in testing and in the race and focused on his work because that’s the most important thing for him, there’s no point in getting distracted.
“Mark is almost there.
“Of course they will be rivals in every tribe, they will fight for important positions, but what makes them stronger is that they inspire each other.”
“After each training, we exchange ideas.
“An organization can make a huge leap in efficiency by sharing everything.”
Asked if Marc Marquez is a legitimate competitor in MotoGP, Masini said: “The start is the goal we’re all aiming for, but I’m very happy.
“You can say that things are going well because it gives us little and we have a solid foundation to start with.
“Now that we’ve finished the first race, the ice has broken.
“The first goal is for the riders to have fun and I saw smiles on both of their bodies, which is the most important thing for us.
“The title? Let’s talk about my era…”.
