After challenging years at Repsol Honda since 2020 due to injuries and poor bike performance, Marc Márquez aims to return to good results in 2024 – having moved to Gresini where he will ride a Ducati. Despite the excitement and expectations, the rider rules himself out of the title race, and John McGuinness believes the six-time premier class champion won’t be in that contention.
In an interview with MCN quoted on Motosan.es, the popular road racing rider analyzed: ‘In MotoGP, Márquez on a Ducati is the greatest. I think he will be fast, but I don’t think he will pull away so soon. I know it’s another thing, but the last five years of results and injuries have to have taken a toll. Also, he will face those guys who grew up riding the Ducati. And, look, one thing is to set a fast lap in practice – just look at [Maverick] Viñales, who is the world champion of practices – but races are another thing’.
Nevertheless, McGuinness believes that Márquez will be a constant presence at the top but won’t be fighting for the title until the end in 2024: ‘I think eight out of ten times he will be there. But will he be there at the end of the year fighting for the championship? He might prove me wrong, but probably not’.