Jorge Martin on “big threat” Marc Marquez: “He has advantage at the beginning…”

Marquez’s addition to the Ducati clan, riding a year-old Desmosedici for Gresini Racing, is a bombshell headline for MotoGP in 2024.

How the eight-time world champion will be received, both on and off the track, by his fellow Ducati riders is a huge point of intrigue.

Martin told AS that riding a GP23 will initially aid the new recruit: “Marquez may have an advantage at the beginning of the season over us because he will have a bike already prepared. 

“For the official [bikes], the tests are much more complicated because there are many things to test. 

“But I am going to push this year to have my time and, when I have everything clear, I will start testing.

“For me it is not a problem that Marquez comes to Ducati. 

“He is a big threat, because he is one of the best in history, but it is a motivation for me.

“If I manage to beat him, then I will establish myself as one of the best too.”

Marquez was left languishing behind the army of Ducatis last season on his misfiring Honda.

The GP23 that he will ride this year is the bike that Martin and Francesco Bagnaia rode to fight for the championship.

Pramac’s Martin missed out on the title (and a move to the factory squad as a result).

Martin recalled his own arrival as a Spaniard into the Italian manufacturer: “When I signed for Ducati, Lorenzo and Dovizioso were there, but Marquez still won. 

“I had the option of Honda, KTM, Yamaha with Petronas and Ducati. 

“I decided on Ducati because I understood it for the future, although at that time the rookies were still suffering. 

“Now it's different, even rookies can do great things, although I won a race in my first year.” 

Marquez and Martin had their notable flashpoints last year.

The very first grand prix in Portimao ended for both riders when Marquez clattered Martin.

“I started well and was going fast in Portimao, but there we had the touch with Marc,” Martin reflected.

“At the beginning of the year I left a lot of points there.”

At the time, he complained: “It’s not the first time he has destroyed my race. Maybe in the future he can manage to avoid me. Or Race Direction can do something.

“I have never destroyed a race for him, or injured him.”

The final race of the year then ended with another collision between them, Martin’s title dream ending in the process.

“I saw the gap with Marc, I got in, he listened to me and released the brakes,” Martin recalled. 

“Maybe if I had been more aggressive we wouldn't have fallen, at most we would have gone wide or a touch, but when I picked up the bike, I hit it and we fell.”

The rivalry will renew this year with Marquez and Martin both eyeing the championship.