Marc Marquez targets a top-three championship finish for the 2026 MotoGP season
Marc Marquez has set a pragmatic yet challenging goal for 2024: ending the season in the top three of the standings. Although he admits that keeping factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini at bay will be difficult, he is determined to keep his place among the elite.top three in the championship standings. While acknowledging the difficulty of keeping factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini behind him, Marquez remains determined to maintain his position among MotoGP’s elite.
Currently using a previous-generation GP23 with Gresini Racing, Marquez has formed part of an informal 'big three' this year, alongside Jorge Martin and defending champion Francesco Bagnaia. The three have been dominant, including total podium sweeps at the Catalunya and Le Mans rounds.Gresini Racing on last year’s GP23, Marquez has been part of this season’s unofficial “big three,” alongside defending champion Francesco Bagnaia and Pramac’s Jorge Martin. The trio has dominated several rounds, including podium sweeps at Le Mans and Catalunya.
Bastianini Poses a Growing Threat
Despite a respectable third place at the German Grand Prix, Bastianini has gained ground, outscoring Marquez 61 to 52 over the last three events. Consequently, the Spaniard's lead over Bastianini has shrunk to just 11 points.German Grand Prix, Marquez has been outscored by Bastianini 61-52 over the last three rounds. As a result, the 31-year-old Spaniard now leads Bastianini by just 11 points in the standings.
Reflecting after his second-place finish at the Sachsenring, Marquez said, “The start of the season has been decent. Not flawless, as we made some errors, but generally good. We've managed to hold onto third place in the championship.”Reflecting after his second-place finish at the Sachsenring, Marquez said, “The start of the season has been decent. Not flawless, as we made some errors, but generally good. We've managed to hold onto third place in the championship.”Sachsenring after finishing second.
Marquez concedes that fighting for the title against Bagnaia and Martin isn't a realistic prospect at this stage; instead, he is focused on protecting his third-place rank:Bagnaia and Martin for the title may not be realistic at this point, and his focus is now on defending his current third-place position:
“Aiming for a top-three finish is a solid goal because it's going to be hard to keep Enea behind us; he's incredibly fast. We'll keep pushing and try to learn from the two leading Ducati riders—Bagnaia and Martin—since they still have a bit of an edge over us.”“Aiming for a top-three finish is a solid goal because it's going to be hard to keep Enea behind us; he's incredibly fast. We'll keep pushing and try to learn from the two leading Ducati riders—Bagnaia and Martin—since they still have a bit of an edge over us.”
The Move to Ducati: A Mix of Triumphs and Setbacks
Marquez's transition to the Gresini Ducati has been largely successful. The six-time world champion has already secured four podiums across the first nine weekends and has successfully landed a seat with the factory Ducati team for 2025.Gresini Racing has been impressive overall. The six-time MotoGP champion has claimed four grand prix podiums in the first nine race weekends and has even secured a factory Ducati deal for 2025.
However, the season hasn't been without its hurdles:
- A clash with Bagnaia during the Portuguese round
A clash with Bagnaia during the Portuguese roundcollision with Bagnaia in Portugal
- A crash while leading the pack at the Americas GP
A crash while leading the pack at the Americas GPcrash while leading the Americas GP
- Inconsistent qualifying sessions, which frequently force him to start from Q1
Inconsistent qualifying sessions, which frequently force him to start from Q1qualifying, often requiring him to go through Q1
Despite grabbing pole position at Jerez, his average starting spot up to the Sachsenring is 7.4, showing that his one-lap speed needs work.pole position at Jerez, his average qualifying position up to Sachsenring has been 7.4, indicating room for improvement in single-lap pace.
Marquez Rates His Season So Far: A Solid 8/10
When asked to evaluate his performance, Marquez gave himself an 8 out of 10, balancing his strong results against a few costly errors:score of 8 out of 10, citing both his strong performances and avoidable mistakes:
“I'd say 8. The season started strong, but I made a couple of big mistakes—specifically in Austin and during the sprint in Assen. Other than those two, the rest is acceptable.”“I'd say 8. The season started strong, but I made a couple of big mistakes—specifically in Austin and during the sprint in Assen. Other than those two, the rest is acceptable.”Austin, followed by the sprint race in Assen. Two major mistakes. The rest are acceptable.”
Moving forward, Marquez intends to sharpen his qualifying pace to ensure he stays in the top three and prevents rivals like Bastianini from overtaking him.MotoGP top three, while keeping rising contenders like Bastianini at bay.