Marquez “would sign” first Ducati Sunday MotoGP podium at COTA despite win record

The eight-time grand prix world champion has won seven times at the Circuit of the Americas in his MotoGP career, starting with his maiden victory in 2013.

Winning every year at COTA between 2013 and 2018, Marquez last won at the circuit in 2021.

Having achieved a first sprint podium on the Gresini Ducati in Portugal last month, many have viewed Austin as the place where Marquez could get his first win on the GP23.

But speaking on Thursday ahead of the third round of the 2024 campaign, Marquez moved to downplay this.

“Obviously, we arrive at a good race track for my riding style,” he said.

“In the past, we achieved many good results. But right now still, as I saw in Portimao, there are three, four riders faster than me.

“So, let’s see if here I can be a bit closer.

“If today you say you will achieve your first podium, I would sign [for it]. Before a victory, the podium must arrive [first]. So, let’s see step by step.”

While noting that COTA suits his riding style, he knows how he approaches the circuit “will be different” on the Ducati compared to the Honda given the “completely different concepts” of the machines.

“Of course, they are completely different concepts of bike and being ridden in a different way,” he said comparing the Honda and Ducati with his COTA riding style.

“Honda was super strong in those stop-and-go corners, as for example Alex Rins showed here last year the bike was working well, as me and Joan Mir did in India more or less.

“Let’s see how the Ducati is working here. I know it will be different, but my target is to try to flow on this track.

“It’s a race track that I like and when you arrive on a race track you like, at least you enjoy.

“So, we will try to enjoy it and then we will see. Of course, there are two, three riders who are super fast and they have been fast in the past here.

“So, it will be difficult to achieve that victory, because as I say first of all better results must first arrive in Sunday races because at the moment we were not able to even fight for the podium.”