Andrea Dovizioso has bluntly reminded Marc Marquez of Jorge Lorenzo’s underwhelming performance during his time at Ducati.
Marquez is set to join Gresini Ducati for the 2024 MotoGP season, and many of his competitors are already predicting a return to championship contention for him. However, three-time champion Lorenzo made a high-profile switch from Japanese machinery to the Italian manufacturer in 2017 with a lucrative deal, only to face disappointment. Lorenzo struggled, finishing seventh and ninth in the MotoGP standings, marking the lowest points of his career up to that time.
His teammate, Dovizioso, experienced the frustration of being denied the title, finishing as the runner-up to Honda’s Marquez for three consecutive seasons. Dovizioso now emphasizes the importance for Francesco Bagnaia to focus on his own performance and not be distracted by the imminent arrival of Marquez.
“Bagnaia must not give importance to Marquez,” Dovizioso said.
“He will only have to think about himself. Because if you try to copy these great champions, then what happens is that they send you astray.
“In some ways it’s a bit like what happened in Lorenzo’s time.
“Jorge arrived at Ducati, thought he would smash everything, but in the end, it wasn’t like that.
“We’ll see. I am really curious.”
Dovizioso said about other Ducati riders are “so excited, they want to beat Marc and give him a hard time”.
“It will be very interesting. He will go very fast and will have to adapt to two things.
“The first is braking, because he has always been used to it with his Honda. “However, I am of the opinion that he will adapt quickly.”
When questioned about the second adjustment that Marquez needs to make, Dovizioso maintained a notably quiet demeanor. He elaborated on the evolution of today’s machinery and emphasized the necessity for Marquez to adapt to the changes specific to Ducati.
“The bikes are more physical and precise.
“Marquez, just to give an example, when he accelerates behind a Ducati he can invent what he wants, but if the bike doesn’t accelerate due to grip he can’t do anything.
“Ducati has sorted out some details while the others are struggling.”
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