Published: 29 Aug 2024
Marc Marquez Would "Like to Crash Less but Doesn't Care a Lot"
Marc Marquez doesn’t care a lot about the high amount of crashes in 2024 – although he “would like to crash less”.
As the 2024 MotoGP season progresses, Marc Marquez finds himself in a familiar yet challenging position. Despite making a high-profile switch from Honda to Gresini Ducati, Marquez continues to struggle with crashes, a trend that has persisted throughout his career.
Marquez has been a frequent visitor to the gravel traps this season, suffering 16 crashes in the first 11 rounds. This statistic puts him at the top of the list for most crashes in 2024, echoing his crash-laden stint with Honda.
Despite transitioning to the more rider-friendly Ducati, the Spaniard’s tendency to push the limits has kept him on course to potentially match or exceed his personal record of 23 crashes set in 2023.
The Spaniard’s most notable crash of the season occured at the Americas GP, where he fell shortly after seizing the lead of the race.
More recently, he experienced setbacks during the sprint races at Silverstone and Spielberg, raising big questions about whether his crashes are a result of his aggressive riding style or the ongoing quick adaptation to the Ducati Desmosedici.
Addressing this, Marquez remarked, “In the first part of the season, as I said in Portimao and Austin, I crashed a lot. The most positive thing is that I’m crashing in practice. In the main race, I always try to stay on the bike, and this is the most important point.”
Despite the crashes, the Spaniard has shown flashes of his old brilliance. With four podium finishes in the opening rounds, he currently sits fourth in the championship standings, trailing only the factory Ducati riders on the superior GP24 machines.
His speed has been evident, especially in Austria, where he finished fourth despite a poor start to the race, showing pace comparable to the race leaders.
However, Marquez has not been on the podium since the summer break, and a victory remains elusive. It has now been over 1000 days since his last win at Misano in 2021. The extended win drought, though, does not seem to weigh heavily on Marquez.
“I would like to crash less, but at the moment, it’s a number I don’t care a lot about,” he said, emphasizing his long-term goals over immediate results.
