Bagnaia must not give importance to Marquez: Dovizioso

The fact that Marc Marquez will ride a Ducati next year is well established, and the six-time premier-class champion proved to be quick on the 2023 Desmosedici from the get-go.

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Ducati riders acknowledged that Marquez might be a threat next season, despite him riding a year-old motorcycle when compared with Bagnaia, Martin, and the like.

Andrea Dovizioso, on the other hand, believes that "Bagnaia must not give importance to Marquez." "He will only have to think about himself," he continued, "because if you try to copy these great champions, then what happens is that they send you astray."

Dovi also indirectly hit Marquez by saying that Lorenzo's arrival at Ducati did not go as planned. "Jorge arrived at Ducati and thought he would smash everything, but in the end, it wasn’t like that. We’ll see. I am really curious," he said. The Italian also stated that the seven other Ducati riders "want to beat Marc and give him a hard time."

However, Dovizioso did openly state that Marc will be able to go very fast on a Ducati, provided he adapts 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."

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Curiously, instead of revealing the second adaptation that Marquez must make, Dovi said, "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."

Strange indeed!