Quickest on his GP24 debut in final November’s Barcelona check, Alex Marquez repeated the feat by ruling the timesheets on the finish of the three-day Sepang MotoGP check.
However Marquez wasn’t solely fast over a single lap.
In a efficiency that may immediate Ducati to query the effectiveness of the most recent GP25 elements – and even perhaps revert to the GP24 engine – Alex additionally beat the 10-lap Dash simulation tempo by manufacturing facility stars Francesco Bagnaia and, his brother, Marc Marquez.
“Actually constructive third day,” Alex grinned. “The primary two have been actually good, however this one was even higher. General, we did a very nice job.
“The one lap is all the time necessary, as a result of to be there with a time assault [means] the bike is responding when you find yourself demanding and asking for extra from it.
“However particularly, the rhythm that now we have. The Dash simulation was tremendous good.”
Alex had completed 5.6s behind Marc as a team-mate on GP23s in final November’s Malaysian Grand Prix Dash.
This time he was 0.2s faster than Marc on the finish of 10 laps, on the GP24.
Requested if he was happier with the Dash simulation than main the one-lap timesheets, Alex replied:
“Yeah! I used to be within the field and I noticed Pecco’s [simulation]. Afterward I noticed Marc’s and I mentioned ‘he’s pushing!’ It was tremendous quick. So I mentioned, ‘Okay I must go for it’.
“So I pushed laborious. We have been actually shut and ultimately, after 10 laps, I used to be 0.2 sooner than him!”
Marc ‘congratulated’ his brother with a center finger on his return to the pits, repeating the continuing joke from Barcelona about which brother will end forward.
“It is good to make a simulation and be fixed and quick,” Alex added.
“The whole lot appears good, but it surely’s Sepang. I like this monitor and I’ve all the time been quick right here.”
He joked: “If we are able to make a world championship right here, all 22 races, it could be good for me!
“However we have been first additionally in Montmelo. We have been strong there. Thailand is a monitor that I fairly like additionally so we’ll see how we’re there and how briskly the manufacturing facility [guys] put all the things collectively.
“When all of the factories put all the things collectively, from all of the 100 items that they’re making an attempt, we’ll see the place we’re.
“So preserve calm, go to Thailand to see how we’re there.”
However the 28-year-old admitted his confidence is already sky-high on the GP24, in comparison with final yr’s woes with the GP23.
“With the ‘23, from 0 to 10, the boldness was 7, all the time. With this [GP24] it’s 9, so that is necessary,” he mentioned.
“We struggled loads final yr with the 23 bike but additionally whenever you’re struggling, you be taught far more. So all of the issues we realized final yr will probably be an excellent software for us to make 2025 nice.”
Agreeing that the GP24 is the most effective MotoGP bike he’s ridden, Marquez defined:
“The GP22 additionally was tremendous cool. So it appears like [the GP24] is the sister or the brother – nevertheless you wish to say it – of the GP22 and it’s tremendous good to experience.”
Alex celebrated two podiums, a pole and a Dash victory on the GP22.
Franco Morbidelli backed up Marquez’s GP24 performances with fourth on the Sepang timesheets, though the Italian’s Dash simulation was a good distance off the #73.
Marquez’s rookie team-mate Fermin Aldeguer was eleventh quickest with a Dash run averaging 1m 58.580s versus the 1m 57.901s by Alex.
Marc Marquez’s common tempo throughout his Dash sim was 1m 57.930s and Bagnaia 58.243s, on the factory-spec GP25s.
The Buriram check takes place on Wednesday and Thursday.
