Marc Marquez will miss the French Grand Prix and the Catalan Grand Prix after a highside crash in the Le Mans sprint left him with a fracture to his right fifth metatarsal; he will undergo surgery in Madrid.
Marc Marquez led the wet practice session at the Czech GP in Brno, with Jorge Martin returning strongly. Despite challenging conditions, riders like Alex Marquez and Bagnaia fought to qualify for Q2, setting the stage for an exciting qualifying and sprint race on Saturday.
Marc Marquez secured pole position at the wet Sachsenring MotoGP qualifying, narrowly beating Johann Zarco in challenging rainy conditions, with Ducati and Honda leading the front row.
Marc Marquez enters the German MotoGP as a favorite, but rain forecasted for Saturday could level the playing field, potentially benefiting his chances. Practice results show he's competitive, but weather conditions and tire strategies will be crucial in the race.
Marc Marquez led the first MotoGP practice at the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring, setting the pace with a strong performance, while several riders faced challenges or returned from injuries; Enea Bastianini is unlikely to race due to appendicitis.
Francesco Bagnaia had a competitive race at Mugello, engaging in a fierce battle with Marc Marquez that involved contact, which was reviewed by Race Direction. Despite his efforts, Bagnaia struggled with front-end issues and tire management, ultimately finishing behind Fabio Di Giannantonio. He expressed concerns about his bike's handling this season and anticipates challenges at the upcoming Assen race due to limited brake options and track characteristics.
Watch the clash between MotoGP riders Bagnaia and Marc Marquez at Turn 5 in Portimao from multiple angles, providing a comprehensive view of the incident.
Maverick Viñales sets the fastest time at the 2024 Valencia Test in MotoGP, while Marc Marquez impresses in his debut as a Ducati rider, finishing in fourth place. Aprilia, KTM, and Ducati all make significant progress during the test, with notable performances from Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, and Marco Bezzecchi. Honda introduces a new era with Luca Marini joining the Repsol Honda Team, and Yamaha works on updates with Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins testing new components. The teams now look ahead to the Sepang Test in February.
The 2024 MotoGP season is already generating excitement as top riders make team switches and rookies make their debuts. The biggest headline is Marc Marquez's move from Repsol Honda to Gresini Racing MotoGP, where he will ride a Ducati alongside his brother Alex Marquez. Other notable changes include Pedro Acosta, the reigning Moto2 World Champion, making his MotoGP debut, and Alex Rins joining Fabio Quartararo at Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. The season promises to be highly competitive, with riders like Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, and Marco Bezzecchi gearing up to fight for the championship.
Despite a costly crash with Marc Marquez ending his title challenge, Pecco Bagnaia of Pramac has been praised by Martin for his outstanding performance in the 2023 MotoGP season.
MotoGP rider Marc Marquez, who recently had a podium finish at the Tissot Sprint race, became emotional upon returning to his box, as he dreams of a perfect farewell from Honda.
Marc Marquez will leave the Honda MotoGP team by mutual agreement after 11 seasons and six world titles. Marquez, who has been with Honda since 2013, has struggled with injuries and a decline in competitiveness in recent years. He is expected to join Gresini Ducati for the 2024 season, where he will be teammates with his brother Alex. The move is initially for one year, giving Marquez the freedom to consider his future in 2025. Despite attempts to take his technicians with him, Marquez will join Gresini alone, as Ducati was reluctant to share their bike's details with engineers who could potentially sign with competing companies in the future.
Marc Marquez explains the circumstances leading to his crash at Silverstone, involving Bastianini, but remains content with how the weekend unfolded despite not scoring any points.
Honda's decline in MotoGP has been attributed to its unwillingness to implement necessary changes to make an effective recovery. The team's most competitive riders, including Marc Marquez, have been injured and unable to participate in recent races. Marquez's mood has an air of desperation, leading to rumors of an impending departure from Honda. The problem is cultural, as Japanese engineers are very proud and unwilling to recognize that their European counterparts may have been ahead of them in certain areas, such as aerodynamics. Honda's decline is in contrast to the giant step taken by Ducati in terms of performance and numerical dominance, combined with the evident improvement of Aprilia and KTM.