Marc Marquez's season ended with a third place in the championship standings, and a certainty that was perhaps worth more to the Spaniard than a title: that he can still be competitive.
He, 31 years old and eight titles on his shoulders, having struggled in the era of the "fantastic four," crossing wheels with Pedrosa, Rossi and Lorenzo, now finds himself struggling with a new generation of riders, of the "new fantastic four."
A generation of champions, Bagnaia, Martin, Bastianini, who along with Marquez today attended the Ducati event held in Bologna. Among those who are about to leave and those who are about to face the next season and the next challenges, it was also an opportunity for Marc to continue on his path of inclusion in the Ducati world.
You visited Ducati's museum headquarters today, what were your feelings?
"I already had the opportunity last year," Marquez says, "because the support from the factory was important right from the start.
With the move to the factory team we went into more detail, it was important to observe their working method so that we could start to understand the GP25 better and how to approach the race weekend, and it was also another opportunity to get to know the Ducati men better."
In the past you have fought against riders from a different generation. What is different about this generation of riders, how do Bagnaia, Bastianini, Martin, Quartararo differ?
"This generation is more friendly. Just two days ago I was celebrating 20 years of my career, while now I am the most experienced rider.
Everyone follows his own path, today the young riders come with a lot of grit and they try to work to be at the level of the various Bagnaia, Bastianini and Martin who are the strongest."
What feeling do you expect to find inside the box in the coming season?
"I will arrive in a box that has already won a lot, in which the benchmark is Bagnaia, because logically he has the experience and has won a lot with this bike.
It is clear that the quality is there but there will be work to do to try to adapt quickly to the new team. After that we will work to improve and if I don't win Pecco will win, or if he doesn't win I will win, that will be the team's goal."
Did you have the feeling that you were in the right place at the right time?
"I am in the place I was looking for and I found it. I did it by finding a Ducati at its peak, as shown by the numbers this year. In MotoGP it won almost every race except one, although in that race maybe I made a mistake, maybe a Ducati could have won there too instead of an Aprilia. I would say that in my racing career, yes, I am in the right place at the right time."
What was the first day of work with Dall'Igna like?
"The first impact in the box of an official team is always shocking because there are so many people, so many new people. But it's fair enough, in competition it's always action and reaction.
Entering the Ducati box, after fighting against them over the years, I understood many things. Clearly Gigi is the one in charge but we talk about so many people behind that working, it's a wonderful team."
At 31 you are already one of the most successful riders with eight titles, if you could change anything from your past?
"I wouldn't change anything, except my return at Jerez, which was too rushed after the arm injury. Otherwise I think I did everything well."
From this 2024 season what lessons do you take with you, even on a personal level?
"From this season, even though I didn't win a title and finished third in the championship, I won something more important: to get my passion back on the bike and feel competitive.
I thought I couldn't do it anymore but I saw that I can still be competitive and that with the right bike in the right place I can still win races, that was the most important victory."
At Mugello in the past you have not received a great reception, will anything change this year?
"For me nothing changes, I have always given 100 percent, this year I won a race in Misano with the Gresini team and it was good. I hope I can do the same at Mugello on a Ducati."
Have you noticed a change in the Italian fans in recent months?
"It seems to me that every year it gets better. I've tried to be a professional on the track, at the end of the day in life you can never tell what's going to happen, I ended up on an Italian bike from an Italian team where I'm very comfortable. It was an Italian team that got my confidence back on the bike, so it was a nice change."
Martin won the title in the 2024 season despite having fewer wins than Bagnaia, a detail that has caused some debate. Should winning a race award a different score?
"I think the scoring is right as it is now in the end this system allows to keep the championship alive until the end of the season," the Spaniard concluded.
