Alex Marquez "felt at home" immediately on Ducati in test
New Gresini MotoGP rider Alex Marquez says he “felt at home” on the Ducati immediately during his first test of the bike in Valencia following the season finale.
Double MotoGP podium finisher Marquez will switch from Honda after three seasons - one with the factory squad in 2020 and two with LCR in 2021/2022 - to Ducati after signing a deal with Gresini to ride a year-old Desmosedici in 2023.
Marquez was released by Honda to test the Ducati in the first pre-season test of 2023 on the Tuesday following the Valencia Grand Prix.
Having endured a difficult year on the Honda, ending it 17th with 50 points and a best finish of seventh, Marquez was beaming after his first ride out on the Ducati – though contractually was not allowed to make any comparisons between his new bike and the RC213V.
"It was a very positive day, from the first run I felt at home on this bike," Marquez said at the end of the Valencia test after finishing the day 15th.
"We were immediately fast and competitive. That's very important. We didn't actually make any adjustments to the bike all day, we just adjusted ourselves.
"That went really well. Winter is going to be too long for me! I need another day to use the potential of this bike.
"We know this bike definitely has potential. In the qualifying run I was not yet able to ask for everything [from the bike], but I am happy that on the first day with this bike we are only six tenths of first.
Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
"Most importantly, I was able to be very consistent in terms of speed."
Marquez noted that he can "use the natural style a bit better" with the Ducati but "still we need to discover a bit more from this machine".
He also said he noticed a "big difference" with the Ducati compared to the Honda.
Despite his enthusiasm for the Ducati already, Marquez admits it's still "too early" to comment what he can think about in terms of 2023 season aims right now.
"It's too early to say, I can't say I'm going to fight for the championship," he added.
"We need to make a very solid base in the winter that we can start well with in Portimao.
"We have this 2022 version of the Ducati, so we don't have to try much new. We need to build confidence and see where we have potential."
Marc Marquez announces Amazon Prime documentary
Was the MotoGP 2022 title won by Bagnaia or lost by Quartararo?
Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona: Schedule, how to watch on TV, and more
All you need to know ahead of the 2023 season-opening action for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
Vettel reveals “huge” admiration for rally drivers
Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel says he has a “huge” admiration for rally drivers and believes they don’t get the limelight they deserve.
Toyota WEC star Conway relishing Lexus Rolex 24 GTD outing
Toyota FIA World Endurance Championship star Mike Conway says he is relishing the chance to pick up "new skills" driving a Lexus GT3 car in this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Tandy: Night pace could fluctuate "dramatically" in Rolex 24
Porsche driver Nick Tandy is expecting the pace of GTP cars to change "quite dramatically" when they switch to the new cold-temperature Michelin tire in this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
Following Suzuki's decision to quit MotoGP, both of its former riders have landed at Honda for 2023. But perhaps its biggest signing from the now-defunct team could instead be a highly-rated technical manager. Is Ken Kawauchi the right man at the right time to steer HRC back to glory?
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Suzuki's unexpected departure left more than 40 professionals virtually jobless for the 2023 MotoGP season. But that human drama has been successfully corrected by the paddock itself, with most former Suzuki crew members absorbed into other operations.
How one MotoGP team went from title challengers to losing it all in four years
The Petronas Sepang Racing Team came into MotoGP with a bang in 2019 as regular front-runners, with wonder rookie Fabio Quartararo mounting a title challenge in 2020. But it all went wrong for the Razlan Razali-helmed squad as the team changed hands and tumbled down the order - and RNF Racing plans to right this in 2023
Is Marc Marquez ready to reclaim his MotoGP throne?
Marc Marquez’s sixth premier MotoGP title seems a long time ago given the injury woes he has faced in the three years since. At the end of a fraught 2022, in which he had a fourth major operation on his right arm, the Spaniard speaks exclusively to Motorsport.com.
How MotoGP's underachiever is working to reverse its fortunes in 2023
As European manufacturers emerged as the strongest force in 2022 in a changing of the guard for MotoGP, one powerhouse couldn’t quite match the feats of Ducati and Aprilia. Its motorsport chief tells Motorsport.com why this is and what it is doing to become a consistent frontrunner in the class of kings
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
With the expansion of the calendar to 21 grands prix and the introduction of sprint races, the 2023 MotoGP season will take the riders to almost 1,300 kilometres of more competition than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
Luca Marini: Why he's more than just Valentino Rossi's brother
Surname pressure is something many have had to deal with in their motorsport careers. And while Luca Marini doesn’t have that, his familial relation and the team he rides for in MotoGP have cast a brighter spotlight on his progress. But, as he has shown in 2022 – and as he reveals to Motorsport.com – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend.
Ranking the top 10 MotoGP riders of 2022
The 2022 MotoGP season was another hotly contested championship, with Francesco Bagnaia emerging as the title winner after the campaign went to the wire. Motorsport.com picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.