Marc Marquez reveals motivation to test new Ducati brake; will he race with it?

Marc Marquez has explained why he wanted to test a new brake on the Ducati GP23 at the MotoGP Jerez test.

He tried a thumb brake on the left handlebar on Monday.

“For 12 years I've been used to braking in one way, it's difficult to adapt in just one day,” Marquez told Sky Italia.

“I've tried different things. We won't use the thumb brake at Le Mans.

“I prefer to move forward with my [foot brake] because I have the right sensitivity.

“I have wanted to test [the thumb brake] anyway because both Martin and Pecco use it.”

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi described the key item that Gresini’s star rider tested: “Marc has never used the rear thumb brake.

“While we believe that it is important for riding the Ducati, especially in the acceleration phase for controlling the bike.

“We have provided Marc with enough data to be able to understand why and how to use the motorbike better during acceleration.”

Marquez emerged from the Jerez test on Monday claiming that he is now able to be more precise with his feedback to Ducati engineers.

After first riding a version of the Desmosedici at November’s postseason Valencia test, Marquez has now featured twice at preseason tests and raced at four rounds.

Jerez on Monday was the first in-season test day that the Gresini rider has partaken in this year.

The day after his epic scrap with Francesco Bagnaia, which he lost, it could prove to be a pivotal day in Marquez’s season.

The ability to test items that are routinely used by Bagnaia and Jorge Martin, the GP24 riders and the top two in the current MotoGP standings, is an obvious justification for his switch to Ducati.

Marquez is awaiting his first win since quitting Honda but is buoyed by regularly fighting at the front in the first four rounds of 2024.

At Le Mans in two weeks he will race with the foot brake as usual, rather than the thumb brake that he tested in Jerez, but also with the knowledge gathered on his new machine from a full day of testing.