MARC MARQUEZ EXPECTS A TOUGHER MISANO WEEKEND AFTER ARAGON DOUBLE
9 Sept·
Marc Marquez is heading to Misano with the confidence of a perfect Aragon swing, but he expects the San Marino weekend to demand more from him than MotorLand did. After scoring maximum points at Aragon two weeks ago, the Ducati rider said the goal there was simple: “At Aragon we scored maximum points, and that was the goal.”
For Marquez, Aragon represented a track that fits his riding style extremely well, and he pointed to the way the circuit plays into his strengths. “MotorLand is a track that suits my riding style very well.” Misano, however, is a different proposition. While he believes he can still compete at his best, he warned that the weekend will be “a bit more complicated” than what he experienced in Spain.
Even with that caution, Marquez framed Misano as a place where he can still push the Desmosedici GP to its limits. “Here at Misano it will be a bit more complicated, but it's still a track where I can try to express myself at my best and push the Desmosedici GP to its full potential.”
He also highlighted the atmosphere he expects at the Rimini circuit, pointing to the large Ducati following. “Plus, there will be so many Ducatisti fans, who can definitely give you that extra boost.” With Misano often serving as a home-style event for Ducati supporters, Marquez suggested the crowd could be a meaningful factor in helping him extract more from the bike.
On the other side of the Ducati Lenovo Team garage, Francesco Bagnaia arrives with a very different recent rhythm. Aragon was described as painful for the Italian, who crashed out for the second consecutive grand prix and for the third time in four races. Despite that, Bagnaia insisted he is not changing his mindset.
He said, “At Aragon we struggled, but holding back isn't like me,” adding that the team is already focused on getting back to work immediately. “So we're getting right back to work with the whole team on a truly special track: my real home track, in front of all the Ducatisti.”
Bagnaia also made clear that the setback will not alter the team’s ambition. “We're not giving up and we'll keep pushing to be key players once again.” He believes Misano’s significance—both as a venue he calls his real home track and as a race surrounded by Ducati passion—can provide extra motivation. “I'm sure that the fans' support and passion will give me that little something extra, just as they have in the past.”
With Marquez expecting a tougher technical and competitive challenge than Aragon, and Bagnaia determined to rebound at what he described as his home race, Misano sets up as a weekend where Ducati’s two headline stories—momentum and recovery—will be tested in front of a partisan crowd.