Marc Márquez (Ducati) faces a tough weekend at the French GP. The nine-time world champion failed to make it into the top ten in Friday's practice sessions at Le Mans, finishing in thirteenth place. This forces him to go through the dreaded Q1 qualifying. The rider admits he needs more time to adapt to the Desmosedici and regain lost confidence, working closely with his team and the engineers from Borgo Panigale.
Adaptation to the Desmosedici: a technical puzzle 🏍️
Márquez's problem lies in the transition from his riding style to the character of the Ducati. The GP24 demands very precise corner entry and early throttle use, something that clashes with his technique of extreme braking and sliding. Telemetry data shows that the #93 loses tenths in the corner phase, where he fails to generate the necessary turning. Engineers are looking for adjustments in the electronics and chassis to smooth out that power delivery and give him more front-end support. It's precision work that requires time and patience.
Doctor Márquez and his prescription: time, patience, and a bit of ibuprofen 💊
Márquez talks about patience and adaptation, but his track record says patience is not his strong suit. Seeing him in Q1 is like watching a shark in a children's pool. He assures that with more laps the click will come, but in the meantime, rivals are already in Q2 having coffee. The good news is that if there's one thing he knows how to do, it's suffer and fight back. The bad news: at Le Mans, the asphalt is as cold as the smile of a Honda executive watching all this.