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2024 MotoGP World Championship
2024 Portugal Grand Prix
Algarve International Circuit
Portimao, Portugal
Sunday, 24 March 2024
Gresini Racing's Marc Marquez admits that valuable lessons have been learnt in the opening race of the season as he looks ahead to the
Portugal Grand Prix on Sunday, March 24.
The Spaniard made the switch to the Faenza manufacturer in the off-season after 11 years with Repsol Honda Team, for whom he won six championship titles.
Marquez performed admirably in his first race on the Ducati GP23, finishing 1.496 seconds behind Prima Pramac Racing's Jorge Martin to claim P4 at the Qatar Grand Prix after taking P5 in the sprint a day earlier.
It was suggested to the 31-year-old afterwards that there was a gap in performance to the GP24, but he insisted a mistake cost him a potential place on the podium.
Marquez, who was involved in a battle with Red Bull GasGas Tech3's Pedro Acosta earlier on, revealed the changes made to his bike overnight didn't pay off as he ended up losing speed in acceleration, adding that it was a lesson they would carry forward.
"Lusail has always gotten me into trouble," he told DAZN. "But on this occasion my goal was to finish in the top five in both rounds. That said, more than the lack of engine power, I made a mistake, coming out of the last corner badly.
"I did really well on Saturday, but we decided to make some small changes, thinking they'd help me. Instead, they didn't help. On the contrary, they made me lose in acceleration, a key element in head-to-head races.
"In general, the benefits didn't compensate for the disadvantages - something we'll have to keep in mind for the rest of the season. I'll have to try to manage the fast corners better as well as the front tyre.
"I felt more at ease in the sprint, while I struggled a bit on the bike in Sunday's race. This is going to have to be a lesson for us."
2024 Qatar Grand Prix results:
Winner: Francesco Bagnaia - Ducati Lenovo Team
Second Place: Brad Binder - Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Third Place: Jorge Martin - Prima Pramac Racing
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