Marc Marquez’s crew chief has offered a pretty big clu♍e about how they can claw themselves closer to the front in MotoGP.

The first two rounds of the 2024 season have been an impressive indication of Marquez’s ability on a Ducati♐, having left Honda.

He was fourth in the Qatar grand prix then on the podi🌌um in the Portimao sprint.

But Marquez was knocked down by Francesco Bagnaia in the Portuguese MotoGP as they fought for fifth,🌃 and ended up 16th.

“Unfortunateꦆ end,” his crew chief Frankie Carchedi posted to social media.

“Some b🍬ig positives from the weekend. The next step is to start closer to the front and get clean air… step by step.

“Can have th🐻e best race pac꧒e, however in a race situation it’s very different.

“Being at the back of the front group💫 the front ovౠerheats.

“We str⛦uggled for speed from 𓆏the last corner and most passes today were in T1. Qp made it tough. Next step is clear!”

Gresini rider Marquez made the Portimao 🐬weekend difficult for ♈himself after qualifying in eighth.

A year earꦜlier he had qualified in pole position at the s♌ame circuit on a Honda

.

He was in contention ꦯto c🍷laim a front row start again, but he lost the front of his Ducati during qualifying. On a second bike, he salvaged P8, which was scant consolation for the pace he had hinted at previously.

Clearly, that early error undermined Marquez’s 🦄two races in Portimao, his crew chief believes.

The third round of th𓆏e MotoGP seaso🎉n is a fortnight away at the Circuit of the Americas.

The Apౠril 12-14 event will now see Marquez apply extra focus to his Saturday qualifying runs ෴to avoid the mistake which hampered him in Portugal.

His crash in Po꧋rtimao qualifying meant that the excellent race pace he later dem🙈onstrated could not be used to its full potential.

COTA is one of Marquez’s fไavourite circuits, a track he hಞas previously dominated.

He won at COTA six years in a row from 2013-18.

Given his eye-catching first laps on the year-old Ducati, the upcoming COTA round will have Marquez fans salivating and his critics ♔a little worr♓ied…