LUSAIL, Qatar — Defending champion Francesco Bagnaia led the race from start to finish and won the first MotoGP of the season in Qatar.
Despite being cautious in his ambitions, Marc Marquez confirmed that the expectations placed on him were justified. He fought for the podium in the Qatar GP until the end and finished in fourth place in his debut for Gresini.
Francesco Bagnaia, the race winner, was asked in a press conference about the Spaniard, about his performance at the Qatar Grand Prix in Lusail, and whether he would be a title contender.
The Ducati rider replied: He did a good job for sure, he finished fourth and he’s Marquez, eight-time world champion. So I was expecting him competitive. I don’t know for the championship, but he will be for sure one of the rivals.
Bagnaia won the MotoGP season-opening Qatar Grand Prix after taking the lead on the opening lap to beat Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder and Pramac Racing’s pole sitter Jorge Martin.
Marquez finished fourth on his Gresini Racing debut aboard a Ducati bike following his switch from Honda while 19-year-old rookie Pedro Acosta nearly challenged for a podium finish before falling back to finish ninth.
“We tried to do the maximum knowing something important had to be changed for the race,” Bagnaia said after his first victory at the Lusail International Circuit.
For Bagnaia, more than the results, was crucial to have a better understanding of the bike: ‘The most important thing is that we were able to understand better the new bike with used tyres, because in the test in Malaysia and also here the grip level was very, very high and it was difficult to have a drop on the tyres after 20 laps.
“So it was the first time we had this kind of feeling and was important to understand it. So the most important thing was that one’.
Acosta soon found himself going backwards as four more riders overtook him but he was still greeted by a happy pit crew who knew the teenager had given the MotoGP grid a glimpse of what the future could look like.
The Italian also said: ‘Winning for sure it’s always fantastic, it’s always important, but I’m happier that we understand better the way to have performance with this bike’.
Meanwhile, Yamaha faced challenges with their 2024 machine, as Fabio Quartararo lamented the team’s performance, describing the gap to their rivals as “further than ever.”
Quartararo struggled to an 11th-place finish, highlighting Yamaha’s ongoing struggles to match the pace of their competitors.
The Japanese manufacturer’s inability to bridge the gap to the frontrunners raised further questions about their development efforts and the competitiveness of their machinery in the highly competitive MotoGP field.
Despite the challenges faced by Yamaha, Marquez’s debut for Gresini Ducati provided a glimmer of hope for the team.
The eight-time world champion showcased his trademark determination and skill, pushing Martin for a podium position before ultimately finishing fourth.
Marquez’s performance bodes well for his future with the team, as he continues to adapt to the demands of the Ducati Desmosedici GP23.
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