Ducati test rider Michele Pirro shares the ‘incredible’ thing he’s spotted in Marc Marquez’s data

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Ducati had full access to Marc Marquez’s data before they decided to promote him to the factory squad. They monitored him closely as he rode for satellite squad Gresini following his Honda exit.

Marquez was one of the standout riders in the field last year, finishing third in the championship on a year-old Ducati bike. He won three Grands Prix and scored 10 podiums, amassing 392 points.

Luigi Dall’Igna and co. ultimately picked Marquez over the eventual world champion Jorge Martin for the seat alongside Francesco Bagnaia. His fame and the associated commercial appeal likely played a part, but few would dispute that he deserves to be riding the best bike on the grid.

2024 was the first season Marquez completed in full since 2019, when he last won the title. He suffered a severe arm injury at the season-opening Spanish GP in 2020.

Marquez’s arm will never heal fully after multiple surgeries, but he showed last year that he’s ready to compete for the championship again. He’s bidding to match Valentino Rossi’s haul of seven premier-class titles.

Michele Pirro can’t believe how Marc Marquez brakes for left turns

During an interview on the PecinoGP YouTube channel, Ducati test rider Michele Pirro was asked to share his findings from Marquez’s telemetry. He has the opportunity to review it as part of his development work at Bologna.

Pirro has noticed an ‘obvious’ difference between Marquez’s performance in left and right corners. While still competitive in the latter, he comes alive in the former, carrying more speed than his rivals.

Bagnaia observed last year that Marquez was able to lean up to five degrees in left turns (via GPOne). That may be the source of his confidence.

The extent of the advantage will vary from one circuit to another. For instance, the Sachsenring – which plays host to July’s German GP, an event Marquez has won eight times – features 10 left-hand corners and only three right.

“Marquez is incredible. Especially on the left, he’s very fast,” Pirro said. “2025 is going to be a very interesting year. It’s incredible that he has a difference, but it’s clearly obvious.”

Jorge Martin fears one MotoGP rider more than Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi

Marquez amazed the staff at Gresini with how quickly he adapted to his new bike. He’d spent his entire career on Honda machinery, but he finished on the podium in just his fourth race.

He will jump straight from the 2023 specification to the 2025 challenger this year. Ducati are set to reveal their new bike on Monday.

Peter Bom says Marquez is the most talented rider on the grid, which means he should be able to rally his new team behind him. Bagnaia has already won two championships in Ducati’s colours.

It could be an intra-team battle for the title given the manufacturer’s recent dominance. Title holder Martin is more focused on Marco Bezzecchi than he is Marquez or Bagnaia, naming his teammate as the rider he fears the most for now.