Marc Márquez had a dream debut with the new Gresini team as he took first place in free practice at the Qatar GP. Despite the rain in the second free practice session, the Spanish rider remained at the front of the grid and with good indicators for the rest of the weekend.
In a debrief, the Gresini Racing Team rider explained the sensations he had during the first practice sessions on the Ducati.
– ‘It was a very solid day. First time in wet conditions. The most important thing is that in the first session I got a really good feeling for the bike. At the beginning I had more difficulty with the faster corners, but when it came to braking, which is my strong point, I was very good. Today in FP1 with other riders I wasn’t comfortable, but when I was alone I managed to be better. I was used to following the others when I was on the Honda, but on the Ducati, I have to go alone and feel the bike and my riding style.
Marc Márquez also spoke about his adaptation to the new bike and his prospects for the next day at the Losail circuit:
– ‘ What I feel now is that I’m doing what I feel and know to be better every day. It’s one thing to be in practice, it’s another in the race. At the moment I’m trying to get the best feel for it, Martín and Pecco already know the bike very well and know what it asks of them and at the moment I’m still trying to figure it out, but tomorrow we’ll continue working in the best way to adapt and keep improving’.