In Barcelona, Marc Marquez will contest his last race with the Gresini Ducati team, in which he found refuge this winter after his departure from Honda. A departure full of emotions, which he did not necessarily expect when signing his contract with the team.
The multiple world champion admits, he could not have found a better team to bounce back from after a series of complicated seasons. If he only spends one season there, he will have regained confidence, and above all regained the hope of one day being able to win a ninth world championship crown.
“It’s like that, Gresini has become a super important team in my career, in just one year, confides the Spaniard this Thursday in Catalonia. The atmosphere was perfect for rebirth, as they say on social networks. To feel like I'm competitive again. I found the perfect family, with the environment, my brother as a teammate, and people who work in the same way all the time. It's a super professional team with which you can accomplish what you want. »
Going through a satellite team, something he had never done in his career until now, also made him think about the relationship with racing that had become his over the years.
“Being in a satellite team reminded me a little of the passion for motorcycle racing, continues Marc Marquez. As you know, at Honda I had my friends, and I was also in a professional environment. But in a factory team, everything is always a little more serious. In a way it's more familiar, and it reminds me a bit of Moto2 teams. It's different obviously, but I mean, you're talking to the team boss. »
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Finishing third matters little to Marc Marquez
At Barcelona, the No.93 will think of the entire Gresini team before his own interests. Although he is still fighting for third place in the Drivers' championship, against Enea Bastianini, Marquez admits to giving little importance to his ranking at the end of the year. Unlike his opponent, third place in the championship does not earn him any financial bonus.
“Third place doesn’t matter, he assures. For Enea, I don't know her contract, but for me, it's not important! Who remembers who finished third in 2022 or… 2015? I finished third but no one remembers that! This third place will not change my life. My life has changed with the goals I achieved this year.
The best way to thank them would be to try to have a good weekend in this last race, to try to end the year very well but as I told them last night at a dinner, we don't know never what the future will be made of » concludes Marc Marquez.
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