'Like a child with new shoes': Marquez wants to rediscover MotoGP 'pleasure'

Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez said on Saturday he wants to "feel pleasure once again on a motorcycle" as he prepares to start his new racing life with Gresini, the satellite team of Ducati.

"My goal is to feel pleasure again on a motorcycle, to experience something different after three, four difficult seasons," he said.

The 30-year-old Spaniard has switched to Ducati after 10 years with Honda where he lifted the world title in 2013 and 2014 before claiming four in a row between 2016-2019.

However, recent seasons have been tough.

In the opening race of 2020, he broke his arm and subsequently underwent four surgeries.

Last season, Marquez finished in a lowly 14th place in a championship won by Ducati factory rider Francesco Bagnaia for a second successive year.

Marquez scraped together just 96 points while Bagnaia piled up 467.

"It's strange for me to experience these moments. I was in the same team for a long time but I am very happy. I have only did 50 laps on the Ducati, but I felt very good," added Marquez as Gresini staged their season launch.

He added: "I can't wait, I'm like a child who has new shoes, as they say in Spain. It's been two years since I last won a race, I want to go step-by-step."

At Gresini, he will team up with younger brother, Alex, who was ninth in the world championship in 2023 in his debut season with the team.

Marc Marquez has not won a race since securing his 59th career win at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in October 2021.

"My main rival is me, I will concentrate on myself," said Marquez.

The 2024 MotoGP campaign gets under way in Qatar on 10 March.