Category: Superbikes

1. MUGELLO SPRINT RACE: SIXTH CONSECUTIVE PODIUM FOR MARC

   Posted on 5:00pm Saturday 1st Jun 2024

   Marc Marquez has scored his sixth consecutive podium of the season today as he shows top form also at Mugello. Today’s result was not a given despite one of his best qualifying performances of the season (4th) but the #93 did well in keeping Binder first, and then Martin, at Bay, before taking a shot at the win. Nine more points in the bag that translate in a new, reduced gap to Martin’s lead – 32 points – as the latter crashed out of third place.   Alex Marquez also had a solid performance as he finished with points the Italian sprint race. From the third row of the grid, the Spanish rider did well in staying focused in the first part of the encounter before starting to move up. Binder hindered a bit the comeback by the rider #73, who will have a bigger chance tomorrow in the 23-lap encounter, starting from 14:00 local time (GMT +2).  2nd - MARC MARQUEZ #93 “We had the pace to win today but Pecco was uncatchable and there was no time left to bridge the gap. This is a track that I never really got fully right, but it’s a whole different story with the Ducati. We managed to compete against the GP24, which still have something more. Maybe we missed something at the start, but we’re happy with today.”   8th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73 “I didn’t get a very good start. I lost a lot of ground, and it was almost impossible to pass with Binder ahead on the main straight. The feeling is good, and we were surely ready to battle further ahead. We will likely go for the soft tyre again tomorrow, even though we’ll give a chance to the medium tyre in the warm up.”

2. Q2 BEARS FRUIT AS THE GRESINI GARAGE IS ALL SMILES

   Posted on 6:00pm Friday 31st May 2024

   The air of Italy brings benefits to Team Gresini MotoGP as both riders managed to earn the direct seed to Q2 today at Mugello. This is the third time in the season after the inaugural Grand Prix in Qatar and the Spanish event at Jerez de la Frontera. Marc Marquez was fifth quickest in practice with Alex in eight place, with the two separated by slightly more than half a tenth. 
    
   In what has been – at least in the previous two GPs – a nightmare of a day, the smile is back on everyone’s face. Both riders will be able to work with a clear head in FP2 aboard their light-blue liveried Ducatis number 73 and 93 without any Q1 pressure and will be able to play their cards for pole position in what was the first of two home events for the Faenza-based squad. 

   5^th MARC MARQUEZ #93 (1’45.345s)
   “I had fun here today. I always struggled a bit here but today things went as hoped. We’re in a good place with regards to race pace, even though Pecco has something more, and we made a step forward with the time attack. Now there’s a difficult GP ahead: Q2 will be a challenga and we aim at a spot on the first two rows. We’re happy with the direct seed to Q2 and now we need to make sure it becomes a tradition.”
    
   8^th ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (1’45.412s)
   “I’m happy to be back in Q2 as so far our Fridays were not too kind. The feeling was good from the get-go, and we’ll work hard tomorrow in order to qualify on the first two rows. I lost a flying lap due to a slow rider in the racing line, but it went well and now we have a good opportunity for this weekend.”

    

3. ANOTHER SUPERB SHOW IN THE BOOKS

   Posted on 5:00pm Sunday 26th May 2024

   From 14^th place on the grid to another podium finish in what was an exciting Catalan afternoon, with Marc Marquez the absolute star. It was not a stellar star this time (albeit a good one), but the talent displayed this time was of a different type: patience. A consistent and relentless comeback, one that surprised even Marc himself who realised he was on the podium only after the chequered flag. 
    
   Alex Marquez also put together a great race. The rider #73 knew he could be competitive in the Sunday race and the seventh position at the finish line is the confirmation of the great work done, despite an underwhelming qualifying performance. There is no time to rest, with Mugello around the corner in a few days’ time. 

   3^rd - MARC MARQUEZ #93
   “We keep improving each day, but it’s clear that it’s not always possible to save the weekend as we did here and in Le Mans. On the other hand, at this track, which is the worst on the calendar for my riding style, two podiums are surely a great achievement and bode well for the rest of the season. Now let’s focus on Mugello and especially on solving the issues on the single-lap performance.”
    
   7^th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73
   “I had a good feeling throughout the weekend and today’s result shows it. I struggled a bit at the beginning of the race today, maybe also due to the fact that I didn’t want to destroy the soft tyre, but also in the battle with Enea and Brad. It’s good anyway, but it’s clear we need to find something extra during Fridays, starting from Mugello.”

4. A CATALAN FRIDAY WITH Q1 AHEAD

   Posted on 5:00pm Friday 24th May 2024

   It was not the afternoon that was expected at Montmeló today, as the sixth event of the 2024 world championship season got underway. Both Alex and Marc Marquez, after being among the protagonists of today’s on-track action, could not capitalise when it mattered the most as they finished Practice in 11^th and 12^th place, respectively.
    
   Nothing is irreversible, however, although there will be a little bit of extra pressure in tomorrow’s Q1 after nearly missing out of a direct seed in the final moments of the afternoon session. Alex crashed out (uninjured) at turn ten, with his tumble bringing out the yellow flags and, at the same time, taking Marc’s last opportunity away.

   11^th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (1’39.113s)
   “Obviously the crash didn’t help but it’s also true that feeling-wise it has been the best Friday of the season so far. We knew the Ducatis would suffer a bit more compared to other bikes, but it’s part of the game. We need to work ahead of tomorrow but the goal is to make it into Q2.”
    
   12^th - MARC MARQUEZ #93 (1’39.153s)
   “I must admit that I wasn’t feeling very comfortable already in the early stages of the afternoon session and then I couldn’t make the most of the soft tyre. It’ll be hard tomorrow as we know that Q1 is the worst session of the weekend, but we’ll give it all and see how it goes. This is not one of my favourite tracks and this Friday confirmed my worries. Let’s thing about having a great Q1 and we’ll see from there.”

5. CHAINON AND GRESINI RACING RENEW THEIR PARTNERSHIP FOR THE 2024

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 17th May 2024

   Team Gresini Racing and ChainOn have renewed their partnership agreement for the 2024 MotoGP season: after a first season together in 2023, the sponsorship-related offers by the team tied to Ducati can be purchased on https://www.chainon.it/teamgresini

   Team Gresini Racing offers on ChainOn exclusive packages that include the possibility for companies to live unique experiences and guarantee themselves visibility on the international stage: paddock access, behind-the-scenes at the pit-box with Marc and Alex Marquez, exclusive hospitality services to involve customers and stake holders – these are only a few of the many advantages that can be obtained by purchasing these packages. Other sponsorship opportunities can also be explored, which will be tailored to specific needs and designed to achieve the commercial goals of each investor. 

   By accessing the marketplace, and after a quick sign-up as “investors”, companies, SMEs and freelancers will be able to check and analyse for free the exclusive sponsorship proposals by Gresini Racing, which are conceived to guarantee visibility to the brand on both national and international levels. And, should interest arise, the agreements can be negotiated and finalised online with few clicks. The commissions for the investors are zero and the investment on the purchased sponsorship is fully deductible in the financial statements. To finalise an agreement on ChainOn is simple, quick and safe on top of being about innovation, transparency and saving. 

   From July 2024, ChainOn has launched the international section of the marketplace: this allows for an sponsorship opportunity increase beyond Italy’s national border, with an eye on involving the biggest number of companies present in the local markets where the 21 events of the 2024 MotoGP season will take place – which include countries all over the world from USA to Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, as well as the main European circuits and many more. 

   Giovanni Palazzi – Founder and CEO ChainOn

   “It is with absolute pleasure that we announce the partnership renewal with Gresini Racing, which gives continuity to what was built already in the 2023 season. The fact that such a prestigious international sporting player like Team Gresini Racing has chosen ChainOn once again, makes us proud and shows the potential of our marketplace, based on the possibility of finalising sponsorship deals in Italy and across the world in an easy, quick, safe way and intermediary-free way.”

   Carlo Merlini – Gresini Racing Commercial & Marketing Director

   “I’m very happy with the continuation of the partnership with ChainOn. ChainOn is for us a powerful sales channel that allows us to increase exponentially our connection with new realities, and therefore to make available and known the offers by Gresini Racing with regards to Sponsorships and team Experience – now also at international level. I’d like to thank Giovanni and his team for the collaboration and to make available this innovative tool.”