Ducati’s GP23 Improvements Aim to Boost Marc Marquez’s MotoGP Title Bid
The 2024 MotoGP season has brought unique challenges and opportunities for Marc Marquez, now competing with Ducati. While Ducati’s new GP24 machine stands out on various tracks, Marquez’s GP23 still struggles to keep up, particularly on circuits that favor top speed. However, the Ducati team is committed to making improvements to the GP23, aiming to strengthen Marquez’s title bid.
From the start of the season, it was clear that the GP24 had made a significant leap forward in terms of performance. With more advanced rear devices and impressive top speed, the GP24 dominated on tracks with long straights, leaving Marquez’s GP23 at a disadvantage. “On some tracks, the 2024 bikes are super fast – and especially on this one, where you have long straights, with that rear device and more top speed, the difference is a bit bigger,” Marc Marquez commented.
This disparity means that, for Marquez, achieving victories with the GP23 seems increasingly difficult, requiring perfect weekends and a performance on the limit to compete with the newer models. “At the moment, we are on average four to five seconds slower in the race. We need to improve by more than two or three tenths per lap; it’s a lot,” Marquez admitted.
Despite these challenges, Ducati is not ready to give up on their star. The team is working on updates and adjustments to the GP23 to ensure that Marquez can compete on equal footing. The goal is to ensure that he consistently finishes in the top five and fights for podiums, even against rivals on more advanced machines.
Marc’s brother, Alex Marquez, also recognized the importance of improvements to the GP23, highlighting the hope that Ducati maintains its development pace and doesn’t allow the GP24 to pull further ahead. “We hope that [Ducati technical chief Gigi] Dall’Igna takes some holidays now, until the end of the season! And then they don’t improve a lot, and we can be close also next year,” Alex joked.
While Enea Bastianini reminded everyone of his potential with his standout performance this weekend, Marquez might have been pleased with the fact that the Italian will be heading to a satellite KTM team in 2025. This will leave Marquez in an advantageous position, with one of the few remaining factory-spec Ducatis, ready to compete at the highest level.
Ducati knows that for Marquez to truly challenge for the title, the GP23 needs to get closer to the performance of the GP24. With continuous improvements and Marquez’s undeniable talent, the Italian team hopes to turn these disadvantages into strengths, boosting his bid for the 2024 MotoGP World Championship.
