Marquez Hails Bastianini’s Explosive Finish at Mugello Despite Missing Podium, Tire Smoke Concerns ‘Under Control

Marc Marquez: "In the final moments, Bastianini was unstoppable! His speed was incredible!"

Ducati's victory count remained at 92 as #93, Marc Marquez, fell short of the podium at Mugello, marking his first absence from the top three in the last four MotoGP events on Sunday.

Throughout most of the race, the Gresini competitor maintained the fourth spot, before advancing to a podium spot by successfully overtaking Enea Bastianini on the 18th lap out of 23.

The eight-time world champion shifted his focus towards the front-runner Jorge Martin, yet Bastianini overtook them both with a sudden acceleration, securing a Ducati Lenovo team one-two finish behind Francesco Bagnaia.

"Today, we were quick, we had the velocity," Marquez shared with MotoGP.com. "I was in the mix, constantly battling and right up there with the leading pack – Pecco, Martin, and Bastianini. However, for the majority of the race, I found myself trailing behind Bastianini.

"I experimented with various strategies to overtake him. I attempted to create a distance, then return and manage the pressure at the front. However, it just wasn't feasible. Then, with five laps left, a slight opportunity presented itself at the first corner.

"At that moment, I thought 'Alright, it's time to chase down Martin'. And we were closing in on him. However, in the final two laps, Bastianini was incredibly quick! He was exceptionally speedy!"

Marquez, who finished second to Francesco Bagnaia in the Sprint, was seen emitting clouds of tyre smoke from the last turn, seemingly due to his ride-height mechanism making contact.

"Marquez explained, “It didn’t impact me,” He added, “Possibly, it had a slight effect on the tyre, but we are aware of the issues with those bumps, and at that moment, the rear shock compresses a bit."

Indeed, with the 2023 bike model, there's a reduced gap between the tire and the seat. Additionally, we consistently push boundaries by lowering the ride height device as much as possible to enhance speed.

"However, it's being managed; it's merely smoke. Ducati is addressing the issue."

Marquez holds the third position in the world championship, trailing the front-runner Martin by 35 points and is now 18 points adrift of Bagnaia.

On Sunday, Fabio di Giannantonio finished as the second-best GP23 rider, trailing Marquez by eight seconds to secure the seventh position.

Marquez is set to unite with his competitors for an official test day at Mugello on Monday.

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