“I would give myself an eight out of ten,” said Marc Marquez after the German GP at the Sachsenring when asked about his rating for the first half of the 2024 MotoGP season, explaining: “It was a good start, but with a few mistakes. Overall, I was not consistent enough.”
A statement that probably reflects the truth quite well. Marquez undoubtedly impressed in his debut season on the Ducati Desmosedici GP23, but he was not able to fully meet the high expectations of fans, journalists and experts. The 31-year-old Spaniard is still waiting for a MotoGP victory – for almost 1,000 days now. Even at the beloved Sachsenring, it didn’t work out. Technical problems, a blockade by Honda wildcard Stefan Bradl and his own mistakes prevented him from returning to the top step of the MotoGP podium. A symbol of Marquez’s season so far.
Marc Marquez: No longer in the MotoGP title fight in 2024
The logical consequence: The Gresini driver has little to do with the expected title fight during the summer break. Francesco Bagnaia leads with 222 points after his third Grand Prix victory in a row, Jorge Martin follows in second place with 212 points. There is already a fairly large gap to Marquez, who is already 56 points behind the defending champion. “Bagnaia has really picked up the pace in the last few races and raised the level. Martin is staying close to him. He’s not quite at his level, but very close,” Marquez says appreciatively in an interview with ‘DAZN’ and knows: “I’m stagnating a bit in comparison. I’ve stayed where I was in Jerez and Le Mans.”
Can he fight back in the second half of the season? “People tell me that I’m close, but you have to see the reality,” the Gresini driver replies. “And the reality is: how can I be in the title fight if I’m constantly having to save my weekend on Sunday? There are always two drivers who are consistently faster and finish ahead of me. A lot would have to happen for that to happen. So I don’t see myself fighting for the world championship. Rather, my goal will be to finish the world championship in the top three. That will be difficult enough because we have to beat Bastianini to do that.” The Italian is only eleven points behind in the drivers’ championship and comes with the momentum of two podium finishes in the last three Grand Prix.
Marc Marquez acknowledges: Bagnaia’s momentum is frightening!
So there will probably be no private world champion in MotoGP history in 2024 either, because Marquez clearly sees his future teammate Bagnaia as the favorite in the title fight. “His current momentum is frightening,” he commented, underlining the difficult task that awaits him in the Ducati factory team in 2025. And yet Marquez is not afraid of the wrestling match with the potential three-time title holder. In fact, he announced: “I believe that I will be world champion again!”
What do you think: Can Marquez secure a seventh world title in MotoGP? Tell us your opinion in the comments! If you want to know what the Gresini rider is currently missing to win his first race since 2021, you can find the relevant article here: