Renowned MotoGP rider Marc Marquez recently showcased his exceptional race pace during the final day of testing at Sepang, leaving his competitors in awe with his impressive performance. Riding the factory Ducati, Marquez demonstrated his dominance by averaging a remarkable time of 1m57.930s over a 10-lap run, surpassing not only his teammate Francesco Bagnaia but the entire field of riders.
Marquez’s Dominant Display
During his sprint simulation, Marquez set seven laps in the 1m57s bracket and only three in the 1m58s, with his fastest lap clocking in at 1m57.641s and the slowest at 1m58.272s. This exceptional speed and consistency would have easily secured him a victory over Jorge Martin in last year’s Malaysian Grand Prix sprint race.
Interestingly, Marquez’s younger brother, Alex Marquez, riding for Gresini, closely trailed him in long-run pace. Despite Alex Marquez’s impressive performance with three mid-1m57s laps, surpassing his brother in speed on multiple occasions, more than half of his 10 laps fell within the 1m58s bracket. Bagnaia, a double champion, also demonstrated solid pace, dipping into the 1m57s twice during his race simulation.
Marquez’s Milestone Laps
Throughout the day, Marquez completed a total of 70 laps, the highest among all riders, covering over 388km in distance. His standout achievement was a best lap time of 1m57.042s, placing him fifth and trailing closely behind Franco Morbidelli’s VR46 Ducati, who clocked a fractionally quicker time of 1m56.948s.
During the course of his 70 laps, Marquez embarked on 13 runs, notably showcasing his prowess during his fifth run when he switched the bike to time attack mode and posted two rapid laps – 1m57.086s and 1m57.042s. In his 10th run, he executed a flawless race simulation, delivering 10 fast laps in the high-1m57s and low-1m58s range.
Marquez’s dedication to testing was evident as he completed a total of 169 laps around the Sepang circuit during the testing period, amounting to an impressive 939km. His commitment extended to the Barcelona test in November, where he tested for the factory Ducati team, accumulating an additional 49 laps on a prototype bike. This experience has solidified Marquez’s position as a formidable force in the MotoGP circuit, accumulating a total of 1,166 kilometers as an official Ducati rider.
Marquez’s exceptional performance at Sepang serves as a testament to his unwavering dedication and skill on the track, leaving fans and competitors alike in anticipation of what the upcoming MotoGP season may hold.
