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Marquez ‘has fire inside again’ ahead of MotoGP season opener

AFP | London

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Six-time world champion Marc Marquez warned yesterday that he has the fire back in his belly ahead of MotoGP’s season-opening race in Thailand.

The Spanish great has joined double world champion Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia at the Ducati factory team -- the duo are hailed as a motorcycling dream team by many.

The 32-year-old Marquez enjoyed a strong pre-season on his new bike and speaking ahead of Sunday’s race at steamy Buriram he made no attempt to hide his ambitions.

“Always the first race is special, it’s a different kind of butterflies in your stomach,” said Marquez.

“But it’s good because the last years I didn’t feel that fire inside the stomach and inside of me.

“This year I know I am in the correct place. I am in the correct team and on the correct bike if I want to fight again for the championship.

“I feel good with the bike, I feel fast, riding in a good way,” said Marquez, who joined from Honda and was last world champion in 2019.

But he cautioned: “Test is test, race is race.