Marc Marquez gives up on 2024 title

Fourth in the MotoGP World Championship, 78 points behind leader Jorge Martín, Marc Márquez believes that the 2024 title will be decided between the Pramac Ducati rider and the reigning champion, Francesco Bagnaia.

After his two successes in Aragon and Misano, Marc Márquez was thought to be capable of a roaring return at the end of the 2024 season, and why not go and challenge the two strong men in the championship since last year, namely Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martín. A fall during the most recent Grand Prix, in Indonesia, put a brake on this objective for the Spanish rider of the Ducati GP23 from the Gresini team.

Interviewed on the sidelines of the Japanese Grand Prix, on a Motegi circuit that has been particularly successful for him in the past, Marc Márquez admits to being beaten for the world crown, which should be decided between the two strong men of the season. Even though Bagnaia and Martín have the unfortunate tendency to fall at important moments, the gap now looks too big to be able to close it over the last five Grands Prix of the season, which will include as many Sprint rounds. The opportunity to close a big gap in a single race is therefore less present.

"Game Over"

"It will be a head-to-head between the two of them, they are faster than everyone. In Mandalika, Bastianini and I didn't score any points, and it's game over, we are too far away. On our side, we will try to fight with them, because they will be very fast in these last five Grands Prix. I will try to finish the season in a good way, as I said in Misano and Mandalika. The goal is to find consistency and improve my weak points, and try to fight to get on the podium again."

A philosophical Marquez, then, who also knows that his 2024 renaissance, after difficult years at Honda, is destined to continue in the future. From 2025, he will be officiating on a Ducati from the official team. A Marquez in red should really make the competition shiver, he who has already taken charge of a 2023 version known to be difficult, especially for riders like Marco Bezzecchi, one of the strong men of the 2023 season.

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