Three world champions, Pecco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo and Marc Marquez, protagonists of the press conference on Thursday in Portimao, in view of the inaugural race of the MotoGp World Championship, the GP of Portugal, but only the holder of the title, the Italian from Ducati, has able to say that he is ready to defend the number 1 he has on the front fairing of his Desmosedici. “After the tests we arrive at this track prepared to fight for the win – declared the Piedmontese – the new bike suits my riding style better and the race pace has also improved. I think that for now we are in a better position than the others”, “However, everything can change over the course of a season and therefore many can fight for victory – continued Bagnaia, putting a brake on enthusiasm -. I think Quartararo and Marquez will be in front, just like mine teammate, Enea Bastianini, and then there are also the Aprilias and the KTMs to keep an eye on. The situation may be clearer by the time of the summer break”.
It will be a long season, with 21 races, and the adrenaline doubled every Saturday with the sprint race, preceded by morning qualifying which will decide the grid for the two races. The short race is considered a “necessary change” by the Ducati rider, because “we have to demonstrate that we are a top-level sport and the direction is the right one”, even if Quartararo, immediately a bit critical of the issue, underlined “the intensity of the season, even higher with the sprint” and the fact that in this way “the dangers also increase”. “Certainly the weekend strategy will change a bit, a different approach is needed because you have to push like crazy right away – Bagnaia said in turn – without considering tire wear, but it’s a positive change, I like it”. The world champion knows he has a more than competitive bike in his hands and declared that “if the bike already seemed good to me in Malaysia, here in the Portimao tests there was a huge step forward, we have more cornering speed and I can lean the bike better in the faster corners”. ‘Come and get me’, he seemed to say to his rivals, who admitted that they weren’t up to par at the moment. “We’ve made some steps forward, but it’s still not enough – explained Quartararo -. We don’t have the same top speed as the others, we’re missing something compared to the Ducati and we have to work to improve”. A gap that seems to be even bigger for Honda “Ducati has a very strong package, Pecco is the fastest, we are far from Ducati and even more from Bagnaia – admitted Marquez -. We are working to try and improve some areas , but in Portugal we won’t be able to aim for the podium. Certainly my ambition is the same as in 2013, I’m here to fight for the top positions”, he concluded. Tomorrow, with the two free practice sessions, we will have the first results and the Aprilia rider, Aleix Espargaro, will also be on the track, declared fit by the doctors just ten days after an operation on his right forearm.
Source: Ansa
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
