VOLUME ISSUE JANUARY , P103
variations in firing intervals (the
KTM is an 86-degree V, the oth-
ers 90 degrees) change the feel.
Highest profile of the '24 turn-
coats is Marc Marquez. His first
test on a Ducati, two days after
jumping off the Honda he'd rid-
den throughout an 11-year Mo-
toGP career, might suggest that
the change is easy. In unbranded
black leathers and with a wicked
grin he was straight up among
the fast guys at Valencia.
But while over-weening self-
belief is essential to anybody
seriously competing in MotoGP,
it needs to be tempered with at
least a smidgeon of self-aware
-
ness. This translates into real-
izing that while Marc Marquez
is not actually superhuman, his
level of talent is something to
aspire to rather than to consider
easy to equal.
This is not so true of Marini
and Zarco. They are at opposite
ends of the spectrum of age
and experience but share the
risk in climbing off the demon-
strably superior Ducati onto the
demonstrably less competitive
and often treacherous Honda.
Of course, the RC213V can and
surely will get better, but even
the mighty HRC will need a bit of
time. As well as a level of rider
feedback that might prove as
challenging as the more imme-
diate task of staying on board.
Franco Morbidelli has the
luxury of the same cushion as
Marquez. He's climbing off the
hard-work Yamaha onto the
class-leading Duke. With plenty
to prove. Has the former Moto2
champ and previous MotoGP
title runner-up gone off the boil
in the intervening slump on the
uncompetitive YZR?
There's just one other crossing
the divide. Alex Rins, the worst
injured of the Honda's many
crash victims, has managed
to escape with a one-year deal
to accompany Quartararo on a
hopefully improved Yamaha.
Rins is a deep one. The only
rider to win on a Honda last year,
in the USA, a couple of races
before breaking his leg badly
at Mugello, he has the comfort
(if it is such) of returning to an
inline engine, very like that one
he used to excel on at Suzuki.
If Yamaha has managed to find
the key to solving their compli
-
cated problem—that when they
improve the power to match the
others, the sweet handling goes
to pot—he could give Quartararo
a headache.
Everyone will be eyeing these
changelings very closely, for
during this year will come the
chance for others to change as
well. On current form, most will
want either to switch to Ducati
or to stay there. But there are
other intriguing possibilities.
How about KTM and Marc
Marquez?
If the Austrian brand can sus-
tain last year's level of improve-
ment, then it should be fully
competitive with Ducati in 2024.
And why should they not add
Marquez to their lineup and be-
come a new dominant force?
CN
THE
RC213V
CAN AND
SURELY
WILL GET
BETTER,
BUT
EVEN THE
MIGHTY
HRC WILL
NEED A
BIT OF
TIME.
