Jorge Lorenzo: ‘Marc Marquez a bulldog’, Pecco Bagnaia still the favourite

Three-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo has given his thoughts on who will be the major players ahead of the 2024 season.

Of course, Francesco Bagnaia is the rider on the lips of many when thinking about world champion’s in 2024. 

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Fastest in both the Sepang and Qatar tests, with new lap records, Bagnaia is the clear favourite.

However, Ducati’s long list of star names could provide challenges.

And Lorenzo has picked out three in particular although he still sees Bagnaia as the rider to beat.

“I think Pecco is that kind of rider who is like a robot,” Lorenzo told MotoGP.com. “He is similar to how I was. He needs everything going perfectly to feel strong and then he is unbeatable.

“I think these two world titles that he won made him believe so much more in himself. His confidence is now sky high.

“He knows the bike perfectly because he’s been five years with the same bike. He made the evolution in the last two years of the new Ducati, so Ducati took his knowledge to build the bike with his riding style and this is very important.

“But Pecco needs to feel as though he is important in the team and have a perfect situation. Then he will demonstrate it on the track.

“That’s what he did and let his rivals know that he is still the best, still the number one to make them put the head down and to not show their confidence. I think his strategy was perfect. But now it is time for racing.

“We have seen Jorge Martin making pole positions and starting the races well, we can see Marc Marquez who will always try to be in the front because he is like a bulldog.

“And for sure, Bastianini feels better with this new bike, the 2024 bike. But Pecco is the favourite I believe.”

Untouchable at some venues in his career, Lorenzo believes Bagnaia will have race weekends where he dominates.

The Spaniard also believes the improvements made to the new 24-spec Ducati could be bad news for Marquez.

“Bagnaia is able to be unbeatable in some tracks,” added Lorenzo. “He is very strong, a two-time world champion but this is MotoGP and the best riders on the planet. 

“With Marc Marquez on the best bike; maybe not the best bike because he will have the 23 bike and this can be the key this year because Ducati improved a lot. 

“But still with the best company bike, Bastianini and Martin who wants to become champion for the first time, he will not have an easy job.

“But we cannot deny that Bagnaia is one of the strongest and for me, until someone proves the opposite, he is the favourite.”