Gigi Dall'Igna: Marc Marquez P13 to P2 "counts as a victory"
Gigi Dall’Igna praises Marc Marquez by calling his recovery rider from 13th to second at Le Mans the same ‘as a victory’.
Marc Marquez twice went from P13 to second at Le Mans in what was one of the best performances of the 2024 MotoGP season.
Jorge Martin winning both races could hurt his chances of securing the second factory Ducati seat in 2025, however, Marquez delivered another statement performance.
Marquez has been brilliant ever since joining the Italian brand and coming off the back of arguably his best weekend given the struggles he faced during Friday practice, it’s no surprise that Gigi Dall’Igna has such high praise once again.
Dall’Igna added: “Marquez confirmed the brilliant progress he is making, his giant strides, taking his Ducati from starting grid position 13 right through to conquering second spot, which counts as a victory.
“He is now constantly up front, duelling for the podium. With a superb race, he repeated his second place attained on Saturday, after a disappointing qualifying round.”
Marquez wasn’t the only rider on the receiving end of high praise from Dall’Igna, as Martin’s double win was also assessed.
“A superb Martin doubled the Sprint Race winning a thrilling GP, in an exciting challenge which was decided on a sprint after an intense battle to the last curve,” added Ducati’s general manager.
“Fast and tenacious as always, he was able to seize the moment, taking the lead and staying there, imposing himself with the right aggressiveness but also with perfect competitive perseverance.”
Third in the grand prix behind main rivals Martin and Marquez was Francesco Bagnaia, who was demoted to P3 on the final lap by Marquez.
Dall’Igna said this about the reigning world champion: “Pecco, after an excellent start, the kind he knows how to turn out, was the protagonist of a closely fought race of outstanding character, giving everything, attacking and defending himself with the generosity of the champion he is, only at the end suffering the comebacks firstly of Martin and then Marquez.
“An apparently interlocutory result, but actually, in the context of a championship that is long and demanding for everyone, these are not easy races, in which knowing how to achieve the podium is essential.”
