After signing🌊 off his eleven-year Repsol Honda career with an emotional Sprint podium, then a collision with Jorge Martin in the Grand Prix, Marq😼uez was smiling from his first laps on the Gresini Ducati.

The eight-time world champion, w🧔inless for over two years at 🍌Honda, even moved to the top during the middle of the afternoon.

It was while the #93 was leading the timesheets 💫that Puig was asked by Dorna’s Jack Appleyard if he was surprised by his former rider’s performance:

"Not surprised at all, frankly speaking,” Puig replied. “What were people expecting? It's quite obvious for us... We know▨ the rider and we can see the potential of other bikes [the Ducati]. Zero su🔯rprised."

Marquez went on to finish the test in fourth place but just 0.171s from leader Maverick 🐈Vinales.

Meanwhile, Honda’s new signing Luca Marini made an encouraging start ⛦to his factory career with tenth place and 0.7s from the top, as the fastest RC213V rider.

The Italian ✨app𝔉eared to only use the 2024 prototype.

"[Marini] contacted us and we are happy 𝄹that he showed a lot of interest in coming to race for us,” Puig said. “We are happy that he is here and I'm sure he can bring us very good information because he's been racing for another manufacturer [Ducati].

“Of course, this bike is different for him, but he already gave good infoꩲrmation a🃏nd he is very precise in his comments. We are pleased with how he has managed the day.”

Team-mate Joan Mir, re𒆙turning to the Repsol Honda garage after missing the Valencia weekend after neck pain from a Friday fall, was 13th (+0.798s)

“[Mir’s] quite pleased with the things we’ve gained. Still some things are not as they should be, but as you can see, he's made a step and the feeliꦐng of the [new] bike is different in a good way."

Honda, like Yamaha, will benefit from♐ maximum access to the new range of technical concessions in ﷺ2024.