Marc Marquez’s Aragon Triumph: A Masterclass That Could Signal a 2024 MotoGP Title Chase

Marc Marquez Overcomes 2020 Jerez Setback with Stellar Performance in Aragon

Is Marc Marquez a Contender for the 2024 MotoGP Championship?

On November 28, 2023, amidst chilly breezes at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit pitlane, the MotoGP press corps has quickly shifted focus from the championship showdown that concluded merely two days ago. They are enduring the harsh weather, eagerly positioned outside the Gresini Racing team’s garage.

Marc Marquez is poised for his initial rounds on the Ducati MotoGP bike, set to compete in 2024, and the anticipation is palpable: this event is considered one of the most pivotal in the history of premier class racing, undoubtedly marking the most monumental point in Marquez's career.

Following his initial ride on the motorcycle, his grin made a comeback. The difficulties encountered during the 2023 season with a Honda that seemed more intent on defeating him swiftly dissipated. Importantly, it was then that he realized he had the potential to triumph once more in MotoGP.

"After the Aragon Grand Prix on Sunday, he mentioned, 'During the Valencia trial, I understood it was on its way.'"

Marquez chose to leave his profitable contract with Honda prematurely, opting instead for a 2023 Ducati at Gresini, in an effort to rediscover his passion for racing.

That season's RC213V turned out to be among the most disappointing motorcycles to ever line up at the start, completely draining Marquez of his self-assurance. He mentioned back then that continuing with Honda appeared to be the straightforward choice, yet it probably meant heading towards a premature end to his career.

Since 2020, he has endured extreme physical hardship to return to the elite performance level that secured him six top-tier world championships in the seven years following his 2013 debut and through to 2019.

The 2020 Spanish Grand Prix was a pivotal moment in his MotoGP career, as a severe fracture to his right upper arm bone significantly altered his path. He underwent three surgical procedures in the same year to address the damage.

In 2021, he managed to secure victories in three races riding the Honda, yet it was evident that his arm continued to be a significant hindrance, a situation anyone would face if their arm was rotated out of its natural alignment by more than 30 degrees.

In the summer of 2022, he underwent his fourth significant surgery. He managed to return to his top form, yet Honda did not continue along with him.

Before the current season's Aragon Grand Prix, Marquez had achieved a total of nine podium finishes, yet a victory on the Desmosedici remained elusive.

Right from the start of the practice sessions at the freshly paved and slippery Aragon circuit, Marquez appeared to be back in his prime form. He led the pack in both of Friday's sessions, came out on top in the third practice, and secured pole position with ease. He then effortlessly claimed his first sprint win, finishing 3.3 seconds ahead of Jorge Martin.

Starting from pole position, he dominated the entire race, crossing the finish line 4.789 seconds ahead of Martin to claim his first victory on a Sunday since winning at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, marking the 60th win of his career.

Additionally, this signifies the 30th instance on circuits that run in a counterclockwise direction, a key element in what Marquez's crew chief, Frankie Carchedi, has termed a "masterclass".

Marquez's Mastery at Aragon

The fluctuating track conditions, due to intermittent rain throughout the weekend, posed a challenge each time the competitors emerged from the pitlane.

Marquez's exceptional skill in sensing track conditions, combined with his rapid pace in left-hand turns, especially through Turns 9 and 10 (the latter being named in his honor), where analysis revealed he leaned into the corners by an extra four or five degrees compared to his competitors, proved to be a formidable mix.

This was important as all participants had to switch to using the medium rear tire after the soft option was removed from the selection because it generated too much heat on the newly laid track surface.

Several riders experienced difficulty maintaining grip during the sighting lap, particularly when exiting left turns, due to the tyre's left side requiring time to heat up. However, this was not an issue for Marquez.

By the beginning of the third lap out of 23, Marquez had established a two-second lead over the group. This advantage was further helped by Martin and Tech3's Pedro Acosta competing for the second position. After breaking free, Martin managed to increase his pace, securing the fastest lap record from Marquez on the third circuit with a time of 1m48.365s.

However, he didn't intend to exert any pressure on Marquez. In the ninth lap, Marquez clocked a 1 minute and 48.186 seconds lap, reclaiming the title of the fastest lap. During the same circuit, Martin recorded a time of 1 minute and 48.417 seconds. Even by the 19th lap, Marquez was consistently achieving times within the 1 minute and 48 seconds range, whereas Martin's speed had dropped to 1 minute and 49.668 seconds.

A pivotal choice made on Sunday morning significantly impacted the performance of #93. During the warm-up round, which took place on a wet track, Marquez completed only a single lap before heading into the pit lane, deciding not to record a time.

He was so confident with his performance on the dry track with his Ducati, he was hesitant to complicate matters by learning how to handle wet conditions.

This minor aspect underscores the intense self-expectation Marquez felt entering the race. Following his victory at the grand prix, he remarked, "Today was a significant day for me."

He was confident in his ability to secure another race victory in 2024, but the delay in achieving this success until the 12th round of the season caught many off guard. The progression from the GP23 to the GP24 turned out to be more significant than anticipated, a reality he seems to have recently accepted.

Crossing the finish line, Marquez triumphantly displayed his biceps atop his Gresini-operated GP23. His victory celebration mirrored that of the 2021 Emilia Romagna GP, 1043 days earlier, where he had posed in a similar fashion with his then-recovering left arm. This gesture acknowledged that moment while also indicating that he has fully moved on from the challenges of Jerez 2020. Consequently, his victory at the 2024 Aragon GP carries an exceptional personal value in his list of career achievements.

"Marquez mentioned that he ranks it on par with the 2021 season in Germany."

He mentioned that he has tackled 2024 with a fresh perspective, gradually boosting his self-assurance on the Ducati, following an 11-year stint with Honda. From the beginning of this season, it was evident that he possessed significant potential, sufficiently so to persuade Ducati to reorganize its entire structure to elevate him to its premier team for 2025.

Aragon seems to mark the return of the true Marc Marquez, yet he has emphasized that it's premature to consider this his standard level now.

In the 2024 championship race, 296 points are still available. Martin is ahead by 23 points against Francesco Bagnaia, following an incident where he was knocked out by Alex Marquez in a late crash, adding to a very disappointing weekend for the current champion.

Currently, Marquez trails Martin by 70 points. However, from a mathematical standpoint, he hasn't been eliminated from contention yet. Additionally, the second half of the season features numerous tracks that favor Marquez, offering him opportunities to increase his number of victories.

Is he truly convinced that he's in the running for the championship?

"Indeed, we are quite distant," he responded on Sunday.

This aligns closely with his outlook regarding 2024. But what does this mean for 2025?

His closest competitors might find some temporary comfort in knowing that Aragon's unusual weekend, significantly influenced by the track conditions, played a major role in Marquez's complete control over the event.

Currently, he stands as an exception in a performance record that has consistently placed him among the top three quickest riders at the moment, yet he hasn't quite reached the heights of Martin and Bagnaia.

With that in mind, the restrictions have been lifted. He has demonstrated to himself that he still possesses the ability to win, and that he can achieve this success on a different motorcycle. At this point, his grasp of the Ducati is so thorough that he is maximizing its potential.

Securing a couple more victories before the season concludes will only benefit him. However, no matter how his competitors might try to spin the outcome of the 2024 Aragon Grand Prix, they're all bound to approach the Misano race with a sense of apprehension about what lies ahead.

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