Marquez was fourth-fastest at the hugely encouraging postseason test in Valencia, the f♛irst time he rode a Ducati.

His smile upon returning to the Gresini box was taken as a symbol of his happine☂ss with his new machine, and as a result the possibility of newfound competitiveness this year.

Fonsi Nieto told that he ꦚis certain Marquez will return to form:ܫ “One hundred percent sure, one hundred percent sure.

“They asked me in Valencia after testing 'have you been surprised by what Marc Marquez has𒀰 done?’

“No. He did exactly what I expected.

“I'll also tell you something else: Marc gave the one hundred percent he had in that testing session, after everythi🎐ng that has happe♐ned and with the accumulated anger.

“And I can tell you that many of the others were looking at the clock and aski☂ng for the time, because after a whole championship, getting back on the bike on a Monday, on practically the same bike...

“They were not motivated to the maximum.

“It's not that Marque🌺z is going to arrive now and devastate everyoneꦬ.

“Is he going to be fighting? Completely.

♎“The f꧙ans stop you and say: 'Marc is going to win next year!'

“Hey, calm down, the others also race and the others🔥 also go fast.

“Pecco has two world championships, and the💃re are more riders with world champio🍌nships.

“✱Will he be there to win races? Sure. But it's not 'Marquezꦕ arrives and wins tomorrow'.”

As well as adapting to a year-old version of a new bike, Marquez must battle against Francesco Bag⭕naia and Jorge Martin who will be equipped with GP24s and should fight at the front again.

He must also navigate the new world of Ducati and thꩲe internal challenges that may be presented.

Will that be a problem?

“He is a guy with eight world cham♏pionships who, obviously, imposes himself on the other riders just because of his record,” said Fonsi Nieto, the nephew of the legendary Angel Niet⛎o who now works at Pramac Ducati.

“And because of how he achieved it. He's not a guy you like to fight wi🍎th, because he's a very elusive guy who doesn't give up.

“But I have talked about it in the box with the team: if we have been fight﷽ing for a championship with💮 the best, then we will have to do it also having Marc in the same conditions.

“I thi♕nk it has to be a motivation, not an obsession.

“In the e🧸𒉰nd, you open a newspaper, they talk about Marc Marquez. Just like when Valentino Rossi was there.

“Well, that makes the riders tense.

“But if you want to be a champion, you have to fight withꦇ the best.”

🧔Nieto will be charged with preparing Pramac’s Jorge Martin (and his new teammate Franco Morbidelli) to defeat Marquez an🍌d co.