When Marc Marquez embarked on his journey as a Ducati rider, it was expected that he would not only have to catch up to his competitors Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin in the 2023 title race, but also contend with other riders who had the same bike as him. Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez, and Fabio Di Giannantonio were all considered strong contenders in the GP23 category. However, two rounds and four races into the season, Marquez is the only one who has been able to challenge the current Ducatis.
The question arises, why is it that only Marquez, who is relatively new to the Ducati, has been able to perform well? Bezzecchi, in particular, has struggled to adapt to the 2023 bike and has had difficulty finding the right riding style. He has compared his experience to Enea Bastianini’s struggles last year. Despite some improvements, Bezzecchi still feels he has a long way to go to catch up to the top riders.
In addition to the bike’s challenges, Bezzecchi has also struggled with his starts and the Ducati clutch. This, combined with his unease with the GP23, has made it even more difficult for him to compete. Di Giannantonio, on the other hand, has had a mixed performance so far. He crashed out of both sprints and lacked rear grip in Portugal. He attributes these issues to the team still understanding his needs and vice versa.
As for Alex Marquez, he has been focused on reducing his mistakes from last year. However, he still had a crash at the Portuguese Grand Prix and was not as fast as he expected. He acknowledges that his brother, Marc Marquez, has been performing exceptionally well and believes that turning the bike is one of his strengths.
In conclusion, while all three of Marc Marquez’s GP23 peers have their own reasons for their current positions, it is noteworthy that Marc has been able to keep up with the factory-spec Desmosedicis. If he continues to outperform his Ducati counterparts, it may impact their market value as riders.