The 2023 MotoGP World Championship it can be an exciting fight in several pilots of ducatimostly Pecco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi and, perhaps fleeting appearances of competitors of Apriliaas Aleix Espargar and Maverick Vialesor of KTMespecially Brad Binder.
For them it will be a contest of glory and success, but for many it has become a nightmare without even reaching the middle. a constant disappointment that forces them to take half a course as if it were a preseason. The most striking thing is that this is the situation in which they find themselves three champions of the category, Marc Mrquez, Joan Mir and Fabio Quartararoall of them weighed down by the lack of competitiveness of their japanese mounts.
They are three of the pilots who have the most fans worldwide and those fans they live with a mixture of disappointment, nostalgia and faith the current great prizes. On the one hand, they know that they have almost no chance to shine, they long for their feats and victories and want to dream of some ‘flash’ that will allow them to return to the top.
they have those same feelings with other additions, such as frustration or hope for a better future. All three agree on something: They started thinking that they would fight for the title -I looked for victories and podiums at the end of the year, according to what he said in preseason- and reality It has made them change their approaches. Not surprisingly, Quartararo is eleventh, Marc Márquez, 19 and Mir, 25.
For this reason, the trio, which treasures world elevenalready goes on dates almost like ‘testers’. Its mission is to roll with the new parts that Japanese engineers bring to find a way or a baseline for 2024year in which they hope to make a leap forward… or look for another motorcycle.
Because they also agree on that: they have parked their criticism of their brands to head down and wait for what comes in the misano test. Then be in the of Valencia and, later in that of sepang. If they don’t see any progress, Honda and Yamaha they will have problems.
Marc Mrquez was the first to opt for a change of approach. By force, after the falls at Sachsenring and Assen. “Low profilezero expectations and work for the future”, are the slogans that he repeats in each appearance since Silverstone. He risks just enough, when he has to fight to get into Q2 or at specific moments in a race. It is more important for him and for HRC that no harm be done again. “I have to enjoy the bike again, and think about the results“, warned in Austria.
Accepting these results will be the hardest part of my sports career.
Joan Mir He has also ‘matured’ with blows. “He will continue working with the aerodynamics, but with a view to next year. We can’t wait until the Misano test, because the situation is a disaster right now: we are fighting to finish in the top 15, and falling. AND I am not a pilot to be like this. I trust that Honda will turn the situation around. Coming is not an ordeal, but what is discouraging is getting on the motorcycle and seeing that it is the same as Mugello”, he affirms.
In MotoGP Practice at the Red Bull Ring he was last, until surpassed by a tester, Savadori, and a substitute, Iker Lecuona.
The Devil has been the last to jump on this new philosophy. “We had difficulties with the evolution of the bike, it was much harder than expected. What if I doubted myself? S. It’s not my habit to blame the bike, so I looked more at myself. If I finish eighth and give my one hundred percent, I’ll be happy with that result. Is very difficult mentally It will be the hardest part of my sports careerbut you have to accept ending up in these positions,” he released in advance of an interview on DAZN.
Other champions in preseason
They are not the only champions who only look to 2024. Two of them, from Moto2, have seen their campaign conditioned by a crash at the premiere in Portimao. Pol Espargar He didn’t come back until Great Britain and now he spends his time getting feeling and confidence back and helping the evolution of the KTM/GasGas. enea bastianini He wasn’t at his best physically after breaking the scapula in his right shoulder until after the summer. The only challenge for him is to take the point from a GP23 with which he is not so comfortable. Even less when he sees that it is the bike to beat and others fight for the crown with it.
Franco Morbidelliintermediate class champion in 2017, now only wants to leave Yamaha with dignity and close his future at Ducati, with the VR46.
Is the World Cup of resigned champions, the one that they will soon want to forget, that of some trips to ‘train’ more than to run, in which they barely taste the Prosecco from the podium and where their boxes and teams work seriously and without making noise. Everything is to make old laurels green again… in 2024 or later.
