Marquez Admits Bagnaia and Martin Hold Edge in 2024 MotoGP Title Race Despite Catalunya Podium

Marc Marquez concedes that in the battle for the 2024 championship, Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin possess an additional edge.

Despite an impressive surge from 14th to 3rd place in the Catalunya MotoGP, Marc Marquez believes he remains slightly behind his top competitors.

Francesco Bagnaia clinched the win, outpacing Martin, as Marquez battled intensely to claim the third spot, surpassing Aleix Espargaro.

When questioned about his chances of competing for the championship after securing a podium finish for the fourth time in a row, Marquez expressed uncertainty about making a strong challenge.

"Marquez mentioned, "To compete for the championship, I must begin within the top two rows like they do. It's certainly a goal, yet it's clear they possess an additional edge."

"I possess something on various racing circuits, yet they demonstrate speed on all tracks.

"It's important for us to grasp that we can't afford to be falling behind on Fridays, or in the first quarter. However, being just 41 points away from the leader after six events; if you had told me this at the season's beginning, I would've eagerly asked 'where do I sign up'."

"I'd happily agree to secure a top three finish in the league by season's end."

Marquez has secured a podium finish in the last three Grand Prix races. Similarly, the rider from Gresini Ducati has also achieved podium finishes in the sprint races at Le Mans and Barcelona.

Marquez climbed from 13th to second position on two occasions in France, then replicated this feat from 14th place in yesterday's sprint.

Despite finishing in third place today, the eight-time world champion Marquez considers this podium finish to be his most remarkable one yet.

Marquez stated, "Absolutely, for me! In Jerez, I possessed the speed required to clinch victory but lacked the self-assurance to achieve it. It marked the first occasion, alongside Austin, where I had the speed, but in Austin, I erred.

"During the quick race at Jerez, I also committed an error, which led to a lack of confidence on my part. Following that, in Le Mans, my speed was sufficient for victory, which is why I managed to catch up with them."

"Here, I lacked the speed to achieve that goal. I had the speed to be among the top five. However, beginning from 14th position made it even more challenging."

"I simply focused on maintaining precision, ensuring I didn't overlook any braking cues, and aimed to pass other riders efficiently, recognizing that minimizing time loss is crucial during a recovery."

"Passing was challenging as riders like Morbidelli heavily relied on their rear tyre, preventing me from getting ahead."

"Gradually, I advanced to fifth position, unaware that I was contending for third place in the final lap since my attention was solely on the competitors."

"Thrilled to have secured the third position, especially considering we began at 14th. However, to truly compete with the top two contenders, we must enhance our performance in the qualifying rounds."

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