Marquez Admits Bastianini’s Strength as ‘Unbeatable’ on His Day, While GP24s Dominate at Certain Circuits

Marc Marquez acknowledges Bastianini's dominance when he's at his best and highlights the GP24s' exceptional speed on certain circuits. Marquez dropped to fourth in the global rankings behind Enea Bastianini following the British MotoGP, where GP24s dominated the podium on Sunday.

Enea Bastianini achieved his inaugural MotoGP sweep of both Sprint and Grand Prix wins at Silverstone, propelling the Ducati team member beyond Marc Marquez to secure the third position in the global championship standings.

Bastianini currently trails the championship frontrunner Jorge Martin by 49 points and is 46 points behind his teammate, the current titleholder Francesco Bagnaia.

However, with 370 points remaining on the table, 'The Beast' has ample opportunity to turn the world championship fight into a three-contender race and possibly secure the top spot for Tech3 KTM in the upcoming season.

Prior to the summer hiatus, Marquez had hinted at the increasing challenge posed by Bastianini, known for his exceptional skill in conserving tyres, which propelled him to his initial MotoGP victory since Sepang 2023, achieved at Silverstone.

"Marquez described his approach to riding as rather unusual," he remarked on a Sunday night at Silverstone. "Initially, when he's on a fresh tyre, he doesn't perform as well as Pecco and Martin do. However, when it comes to a worn tyre, he's incredibly quick since he manages to navigate the turns without needing to lean the bike too much.

"He's excelling in that spot, and concurrently, he's managing to brake late while smoothly getting the bike upright again. Truly, from my perspective trailing him on the track, his riding was exceptional. He maintained control without ever causing the tire to smoke. His approach was effective and swift, yet devoid of excessive motion.

"Indeed, his impact was significant. Historically, it's evident that on his best days, he's an unstoppable force in racing."

The key inquiry regarding the championship concerns the number of successful performances Bastianini can replicate throughout this season.

Differing from the frontrunners, Bastianini has managed to complete each race, though his decision to overlook the long lap penalty at Catalunya led to a significant time penalty after the race, which saw him lose his points. This oversight might prove to be detrimental for him later on.

Marquez: GP24s Show Exceptional Speed on Certain Circuits

In the meantime, Marquez faces the challenge of bridging a 13-point gap with Bastianini to secure a spot among the top three title contenders.

However, the athlete crowned world champion on eight occasions, set to replace Bastianini on the factory team next season, cautioned that in certain circuits, such as Silverstone, the GP24s demonstrate a more distinct edge compared to his GP23.

"Marquez expressed that for him, it's not focused on the rear tire, but rather on the progression of the motorcycles, as he commented on the GP24's complete podium sweep on Sunday."

"Last season at this location, my sibling Alex and Fabio di Giannantonio, who initially began from the rear, were the quickest riders on the circuit, and Aleix [Espargaro] secured the victory with Aprilia."

Today, I managed to outperform Aleix and Aprilia, securing the 6th position. I also surpassed Diggia, landing in the 5th place. Moreover, I ended the race ahead of my brother Alex, who came in 7th.

"My performance is solid, yet it seems the 2024 motorcycles at certain circuits are incredibly quick. This is particularly true on tracks with lengthy straightaways, where the top-speed advantage provided by the factory-specification rear equipment makes the gap more noticeable."

"However, today's performance illustrated that, despite some setbacks this weekend, particularly with our preparation lagging behind, we can still compete effectively at a high level. Yet, we're constantly pushing the boundaries."

When questioned about the disparity in performance compared to the GP24s, Marquez commented:

Currently, we're trailing by an average of 4-5 seconds during the race. Therefore, to be competitive with the others, we must enhance our performance by more than just two or three tenths of a second per lap.

"That's quite a bit. It might not seem too terrible, yet it's significantly substantial!"

"Austria is going to be a challenging race. However, we're aiming for a top four or five finish, and if possible, we hope to contend for a podium spot like we have in previous races."

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