The 2023 MotoGP season boasted one of many tightest title fights in latest reminiscence. All through the marketing campaign, momentum swung backwards and forwards, like a pendulum, between Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martín.

The sequence reached its crescendo on the last spherical in Valencia over the weekend. Prima Pramac Ducati’s Martín ate into Bagnaia’s benefit throughout Saturday’s Dash race, however the manufacturing facility Ducati Lenovo rider clinched his second straight world championship in Sunday’s grand prix.

Bagnaia was in a position to benefit from the highlight that shines on a double world champion for all of 48 hours earlier than the two-wheeled world turned its consideration elsewhere.

You see, not solely does Valencia function every season’s finale, it additionally marks the start of the following marketing campaign. The curtain fell on 2023 on Sunday night time on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, however on Tuesday morning, the monitor hosted the primary preseason check of 2024.

It simply so occurred to be probably the most extremely anticipated preseason check in additional than a dozen years.

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In October, it was introduced that six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Márquez can be leaving Repsol Honda, the one crew he is recognized in his 11-year premier-class profession. Per week later, Gresini Racing confirmed that the 30-year-old Spaniard would be part of them in 2024, driving the identical Ducati Desmosedici GP23 that gained 13 races in 2023 — with the year-old GP22 making it 17 from 20 for the Italian producer.

Whereas Márquez has a fame as one of many best riders within the sport’s historical past, it has been 4 years since his final championship and he is tasted victory simply thrice since.

Within the opening race of the 2020 season, he suffered a career-threatening humorous fracture, an damage that took him almost three full years to get better from. In that point, his once-mighty Honda RC213V had change into the slowest and most unruly bike on the grid, stopping him from really competing with the likes of Bagnaia, Martín, 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo and the remainder of the brand new wave of riders who’ve emerged in his absence.

Tuesday’s Valencia check marked the primary time Márquez would experience a really succesful bike in not less than 4 years. This may be an occasion. MotoMatters’ David Emmett famous that the grandstands open to the general public to the occasion had been full, visitors to the circuit backed as much as the motorway, as if it had been race day.

Márquez might have saved everybody ready, however he did not disappoint.

The person adorned in a placing navy-and-red livery did not take to the monitor till greater than an hour of the day’s session had handed. His first foray out of the Gresini storage noticed him emerge by throngs of photographers, journalists and lookers-on, all with cameras or telephones in hand hoping to seize this second in historical past.

After his first seven-lap stint on the GP23, he’d already set the third-quickest time of the day.

When the checkered flag fell on Tuesday, Márquez had accomplished 49 laps and logged the fourth-fastest time, simply 0.171 second behind the chief. It was a outstanding accomplishment contemplating his closest rivals on the timesheets had been driving evolutions of the identical bikes they’d simply spent everything of the 2023 season on, whereas Márquez had barely amassed an hour and quarter-hour of seat time on his Ducati.

And but, nobody was stunned.

“What had been individuals anticipating,” requested Repsol Honda crew supervisor Alberto Puig, who’s labored with Márquez for six years. “It is fairly apparent for us. We all know the rider and we will see the potential of [the Ducati]. Zero shock.”

Bagnaia even predicted it.

“I used to be saying some races in the past to a journalist that [Márquez] can be first within the first check,” the 26-year-old Italian mentioned on Tuesday night. “I missed [my prediction] by three or 4 positions, however I believe he may be actually pleased with the bike.”

That a lot was evident in Márquez’s facial expressions upon returning to the Gresini storage after his first stint aboard the Ducati. He was grinning just like the Cheshire Cat.

All smiles 😃 @marcmarquez93#ValenciaTest ⏱️ pic.twitter.com/aphzC7ZxH3

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 28, 2023

His new Ducati stablemates Bagnaia, Martín, Enea Bastianini, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio all did loads of smiling this season, every taking not less than one grand prix victory. Past Bagnaia’s pair of MotoGP titles, this quintet can lay declare to 43 premier-class wins and three junior-class championships, so there may be no doubting their capabilities, however their dominance in 2023 can also be a testomony to the may of the Desmosedici.

The identical Desmosedici that can now be within the fingers of a person who himself has 59 senior-class victories and two junior-class titles to associate with his six MotoGP championships.

Márquez risked life and limb to pull his Honda wherever close to the entrance of the sphere this season. He claimed one grand prix podium and three extra in Dash races, whereas the three different Honda riders mixed for simply two throughout all 40 grands prix and Sprints. He additionally crashed 29 instances, probably the most get-offs of any season in his premier-class profession, main him to concede that he might now not justify the chance required to run on the entrance with such uncompetitive equipment.

If his first laps aboard a Ducati Desmosedici GP23 are any indication, he will not must threat wherever close to as a lot in 2024. That ought to guarantee Márquez remains to be smiling 12 months from now in Valencia, however for the remainder of the Italian marque’s riders, their grins might quickly change into grimaces.