Cal Crutchlow's money is on Marc Marquez in 2024: "If Marc goes on the Ducati the rest may as well not turn up".
Marc Marquez in 2024 aboard a Gresini Ducati will be hard to beat according to ex-GP racer Cal Crutchlow.
Cal Crutchlow had few doubts. “I have always said if Marc goes on the Ducati the rest may as well not turn up – it could well be completely boring,” said the Englishman last October. Some figures in the know agree that Marc Marquez’s sensational switch to Gresini Ducati could lead to a whitewash.
Yet, as Marquez was keen to point out, it’s been well over two years since his last victory (October, 2021). He is also switching from a bike that demanded a similar riding style for the best part of 11 years to one that is completely new. And, crucially, his crew of 11 years that also served as his support network has remained at Honda, with the exception of Tyre Technician Javi Oritz.
Add in he’s up against a host of Ducati men at the top of their game, with Bagnaia, in particular, riding with the weight of the factory behind him. Such differences can be telling over a long season.
Yet Marquez had got the hang of his year-old GP23 by the fourth day of testing. And watching as he attempts to assert himself over his younger rivals is a mouth-watering prospect. Martin is expecting him to be a contender from the very start. “He will be really close and maybe ready for the victory in Qatar,” said the Pramac man.
With the 2024 MotoGP season kicking off this weekend in Qatar, we don’t have to wait long now to find out if Cal Crutchlow’s prediction about Marc Marquez turning the season into a whitewash is on the money. There are going to be plenty of racers out there who’ll want to prove him wrong.
WORDS: NEIL MORRISON PHOTOS GOLD&GOOSE