Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez is on the cusp of securing his seventh MotoGP title at the next round of racing at the Japanese Grand Prix, and despite struggling to find one, his former boss at Gresini Racing identified the only ‘weak point’ of his formidable skillset.
Marquez made the shock decision to swap Honda for Ducati ahead of the 2024 MotoGP season, kicking off his new era with Gresini Racing alongside his brother, Alex Marquez.
The motive behind the Spaniard’s move wasn’t money, however. He rode for the Italian constructor for free. Instead, Marquez wanted to find out if he was still competitive in MotoGP following a years-long battle with an arm injury that nearly ended his career.
Upon joining the Ducati-supplied team, Marquez immediately got the answer he was looking for.
The Spaniard won three races atop an older spec GP23 bike with Gresini and finished third in the championship, before a move to the factory Ducati team for 2025 realised his dream of returning to the very top.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
Nadia Padovani believes Marc Marquez’s only ‘weak point’ is himself
Gresini team boss Nadia Padovani had the pleasure of managing Marquez during his sole season as a rider for the team. She also saw Marquez stand atop the podium as the winner at Misano, whilst donning white race overalls in tribute to her late husband, Fausto Gresini.
Speaking in an interview with journalist Cosimo Curatola, Padovani was asked if she felt that the current championship leader had any weaknesses in his riding ability, to which she replied, “Weak points? But it’s what he says, those points he says.
“Maybe he struggles a bit in certain corners, but not really, no. In my opinion, it’s hard to find weak points in Marc because he has a tenacity, a grit, a desire to do.
“No, I think he has none on track. It’s a struggle to find weak points in him.”
After a few moments of deliberation, Padovani added, “His weak point may be, as he says, himself, because here he has so much hunger, desire that sometimes he exaggerates, and then he does things and rides beyond the limit.”
Marquez’s aggressive riding style was a staple of his on-track antics, but he has become a bit more conservative since his move to Ducati bikes.
Neil Hodgson once called Marquez the ‘most aggressive’ rider he has ever seen, but his pure dominance with the factory outfit has forced a change in riding style from the 32-year-old, which has clearly worked well.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Gresini from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy
Nadia Padovani was in awe of Marc Marquez when they first met at Gresini
In the interview, Padovani also recalled the moment she first met Marquez, when he was signing for Gresini towards the latter stages of the 2023 MotoGP campaign, continuing with, “October 2023 was the first time I really met him, and when we signed the contract, I touched him. I said, ‘Are you real?’
“At the beginning, I was a bit, how can I say, in awe. He impressed me, and then we discovered he is a wonderful guy, a wonderful person, and a rider with still crazy talent.
“It was beautiful to have both brothers together in 2024.”
Ducati announced that Alex would receive a factory Ducati next season as a reward for his impressive performances this season, meaning that he will have the chance to ride atop the same bike as his brother in the upcoming MotoGP season.
Alex currently sits second in the championship, with nine podiums to his name, including two Grand Prix victories and a pole position. He has often been the best rider on the grid, with the exception of the 32-year-old, so it’s no surprise that the Italian constructor has decided to bless him for his troubles.
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