Marc Marquez has never been better-placed to claim a maiden MotoGP win as a Ducati rider than this weekend's Aragon Grand Prix.
Marquez has walked the top step of the rostrum five times at MotorLand Aragon with Honda, meaning a victorious Prosecco spray for a third of all MotoGP grands prix to have been held at the sprawling Spanish circuit.
After clocking the best lap times in both Friday sessions of the 2024 edition of the event, round 12 of 20 in the current campaign, as well as snaring his first all-time lap record of a season in which the milestones have fallen in all but one fixture, the Gresini rider seems closer than ever to a first win of 2024.
Two weeks ago, Marquez closed the first day of the Austrian Grand Prix fourth fastest but downplayed his possibilities of celebrating a first triumph since 2021 in Misano (coincidentally where the championship will head next week). An issue with his start device on the grid at the Red Bull Ring obliged a strong fightback to fourth in the race.
In Aragon, the 31-year-old has looked more formidable. He was quickest around the slick and greasy new asphalt in the morning and then reset the lap-record by almost three tenths of a second, raising hopes not only of his chances for a second pole position on the Desmosedici GP23 on Saturday but also for top billing through the 27 laps on Sunday.
“We started with a very good base and this helps a lot,” he said to assembled media on Friday afternoon on what became a humid and cloudy MotorLand.
“Let's see if tomorrow we can keep going because the key of the weekend will be to understand the track; the track conditions are improving, improving, and this I predict will make everything closer again.”
Aside from a strong streak and penchant for Aragon, Marquez claims his superior speed and margin of three tenths of a second over Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro was another demonstration of how the Gresini team is still in a process of familiarisation with the eight-time world champion.
“My technicians, step-by-step, start to understand my riding style better. That is normal. It’s a natural step,” he said. “I expected to be fast because it’s a race track that I like, but not with that gap.”
Marquez has shared the grand prix podium with Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin in three of his four appearances in 2024. He believes the Ducati GP24 riders will be hounding his rear Michelin on Saturday at Aragon where his berth in the ‘1m45s club’ might not stay exclusive.
The six-time champion set a best time of 1m45.801s in second practice on Friday, while all his nearest rivals couldn't break the 1m46s barrier.
“During the weekend they [will] become closer and closer,” he warned. “So, my target tomorrow will be to try to keep my level. Don't stress a lot. Let's see the pace before the sprint race. For me, the most important [thing] is that in two consecutive weekends, Austria and here, I had a very good feeling.”
Pramac rider Martin is wary of his countryman: “Seems Marc is the strongest at the moment but he has won a lot here so it’s normal he’s fast. I saw his data and he is leaning a lot; it is crazy compared to the other Ducatis.
"It means he is risking a lot also. I can see that I am losing four tenths of a second [to him] in just one corner…but I am confident I can solve it.”
Ominously for the rest of the Ducati clique and the Aprilias and KTMs that are trying to separate the Italian force, Marquez doesn’t feel the absolute need for the habitual evening homework of where and how to play catch-up.
“I will not check [the data] today. I will just ride by instinct,” he said. “Today we are first, we are the fastest. I don't like to put pressure to myself but…”
