Jakarta - Red Bull KTM Team Manager Francesco Guidotti said the team had high hopes for its two riders, especially Brad Binder, to achieve better results in the 2024 MotoGP season.
"He had the opportunity to learn last year by staying in the lineup leading racer. "He's a racer, he's a good racer, and he showed in Moto3 and Moto2 that he won titles and several races," said Guidotti, quoted from the official MotoGP website, Sunday.
"He is a good rider, and with a slightly better bike, he could achieve important results," he added.
On the other hand, Guidotti admitted that he was quite optimistic about the 2024 season, considering the team's performance which he considered good in the previous season.
“Of course we have to be optimistic. "We have to believe in what we did last year and what we did over the winter (ahead of pre-season testing)," said Guidotti.
He again gave examples of the achievements of his drivers last season, where Binder recorded five grand prix podiums and two sprint wins, and Jack Miller who achieved one grand prix podium.
Apart from that, Guidotti also said that Binder's achievement of finishing P4 in the 2023 season drivers' standings also proved that the team from Austria was very competitive in fighting for the world title.
“Last year was amazing. We can't complain because our growth is obvious, but, we want more. "The target is always big so we try to achieve it, try to chase it," said Guidotti, hinting at the desire to win the world title for the first time.
For this reason, improvements and technical development of the motorbike have been carried out by the team step by step. According to him, the small steps they are taking can have an impact on the team's performance this season.
“So, to recover the small gap between each manufacturer is a challenge. "We think we're ready to make these final improvements, but we have to get back on track and see what happens," he said.
Meanwhile, after carrying out a series of official MotoGP 2024 test sessions in Sepang and Qatar, the upcoming season will open with the first grand prix at the Lusail International Circuit, Qatar, on March 8-11.
Marquez wants to be able to enjoy racing again with Gresini
Jakarta - Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez expressed his desire to be able to enjoy or feel the excitement of racing again with his new team, Gresini Racing.
He expressed this at the launch of the latest design as well as the presentation of the Ducati satellite team to face the 2024 MotoGP season."My goal is to feel the pleasure of riding a motorbike again, to feel something different after three, four difficult seasons," said Marquez, quoted by AFP, Sunday. The 30-year-old Spaniard switches to Ducati after 10 years with Honda where he captured world titles in 2013 and 2014, before claiming four consecutive titles between 2016-2019. However, he admits that recent seasons have been very difficult. In the opening race of 2020, he broke his arm and subsequently underwent four operations.
Last season, Marquez finished 14th in the championship standings which was won by factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia for the second year in a row. Marquez only collected 96 points while Bagnaia collected 467 points.
I was in the same team for a long time but I'm very happy. I've only done 50 laps on the Ducati, but I feel really good," said Marquez.
“I can't wait (to start the season with Gresini). I'm like a kid who has new shoes, as they say in Spain. It's been two years since the last time I won a race, I want to go step by step," he added.
In Gresini, he will be teammates with his younger brother, Alex, who finished ninth in MotoGP 2023, which was his debut season with the team.
Marc Marquez has never won the race since achieving the 59th victory of his career since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in October 2021."My main competition is me, I will concentrate on myself," said Marquez.
Meanwhile, after taking part in a series of official MotoGP test sessions 2024 in Sepang and Qatar, the next season will open with the first grand prix at the Lusail International Circuit, Qatar, on March 8-11.