Marc Marquez ‘never shows his full hand’ but ‘it hasn’t been easy as he hoped’
Simon Crafarꦆ details the differences between Marc Marquez on a Honda and on a Ducati

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Marc Marquez’s adaption to the Ducati “hasn’t been as easy” as he might have wished for - but his testing times mighꦫt be hiding his true performance.
Simon Crafar, ex-racer and now broadcaster inside the paddock, kept a watchful eye on Marquez’s first preseason as a Dဣucati rider and saw the difficulties of his switch from Honda.
His final lap times were not eye-catching in Sepang or Qatar but, ahead of this weekend’s season-opening Qatar MotoGP, there ༺remains mystery about Marquez🎶’s competitiveness.
“I really think it might not have been easy for him,” Craf🌠ar said about Marquez adapting to a new bike.
“𝓡I know that I put the word “sandbagging” out there. The reason I said that w💖as because Marc never shows his full hand before the race! He doesn’t!
“In 2019, when he dominated, he was eighth in testing. Not showing his f❀u🤡ll hand.
“But I know it hasn’t been as easy, as I reckon he would’ve ꩲhoped.
“He’s over 30 years old. I’m not saying that’s tꦏoo old. But at that age you struggle to adapꦺt to motorcycles as quickly.
“More so than in your 🍃20s, especially eaꦑrly-20s or mid-20s when you adapt quickly.
“You are more set in your ways. He’s had how man༒🦂y years on a Honda?
“It’s a totally differཧent style and it has been hard for him to adjust.
“But he’s so good𝕴 at race craft. When he gets out into t🐎he race, he finds a way to make it work.
“He’🔯ll be there! He’s not a big fan of the circuit, whereas Aleix Espargaro is.
“Aleix will have a good one here, because he loves it🐼, and the bike is strong here.
“Marc 💛is the opposite. If he finishes top five or six he’ll be satisf🅰ied and on target.”
There are some considerations that Marquez might attack the first part of the sꦗeason, knowing his Ducati rivals on the GP24 should get stronger as they learn ꦆabout their new bike’s developments.
Gresini’s duo of the Marque🍃z brothers, and the VR46 pair, will ride GP23s th🦋is year.
Marquez will know that his f♌irst chance for victory will come at his favourite circuits, Crafar insists.
“When there are race tracks whi💙ch suit him? And he knows the bike better? He will be big trouble…♎”
Six-time MotoGP champion Marquez moved to Duꦯcati to reinvigorate his hopes of a seventh title but, first, he must learn how to ride the bike that was used by last year’s title contenders.
Crafa🍨r explained: “The Ducati has more rear grip, and accelerates really well.
“So you have to use that to make the lap time.
“The Honda didn’t have that, and still doesn’t. So he had to m♔ake the lap time with the front, pushing so hard on entry.
“We’ve seen him fall so much b🌌ecause he pushes the front so hard.
“He said that when he rides natural🔜ly, and tries to go faster, he goes to tha♈t Honda style - he pushes the front too much, the rear suffers, meaning he doesn’t get everything out of it.
“Don’t do that! Use what⛄ the stre🎀ngths are of the motorcycle.
“Don’t click back into your old way, wh🍬en you push.
“That’s one thing that he’s fighting with.
“Also, you haven’🥀t spent time on this motorcycle on different tracks.
“So you don’t really know the base setting yet.
“When he f🉐inds that? At a track he likes? He’ll be there fighting for the win, I’m sure.”

James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, toไ F1𒈔.