Injuries & stress

“This MotoGP season will be tough for everyone”

Marc Marquez starts on Ducati for the first time in Qatar

(Bild: EPA)

3600 kilometers at race speed across 21 circuits on four continents. This challenge awaits the 22 riders and their teams in the 2024 MotoGP season. It starts this weekend in Qatar!

"This season will be tough for everyone - especially because of the format of the events. These days, you have to deliver the first time on Friday afternoon," explains Mike Leitner. The Upper Austrian was at the forefront of the paddock for decades as Dani Pedrosa's chief mechanic and later as team boss of KTM. But the stress factor has never been as high as it is now.

Motto: Stay healthy!
Leitner is certain that this will also influence the fight for the World Championship title. He does not see two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia making a breakthrough: "Ducati will of course be competitive. But I don't see a clear favorite yet because I know the sport too well."

With the tight calendar and constant stress, you have to stay healthy first and foremost.

Mike Leitner

"With the tight calendar and the constant stress, you have to stay healthy first and foremost. You also saw that with Bagnaia last year: In his crash in Barcelona, when Brad Binder ran over his foot, his world title could have been gone."

Bagnaia was lucky back then, miraculously remained uninjured, stood on the podium again just one week later in Misano and was crowned world champion in the end.

Marc Marquez is a wonder bag
However, two Spaniards will be the focus of particular attention at the start of the MotoGP season: Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta. One is a six-time MotoGP champion on a new bike, the other a rookie under the wing of KTM with plenty of praise ahead of him.

What does Mike Leitner do today?

As "Head of Customer Racing", the former MotoGP team boss works on the "KTM Academy of Speed", a series of events where amateur riders can get tips from MotoGP professionals. The events take place at the Salzburgring (June 20/21), the Red Bull Ring (July 17/18) and the Slovakiaring (September 4/5).

Marquez is certainly a force to be reckoned with, says Leitner: "He showed in Doha at the last test that he can handle the Ducati. And for the first time in a long time he is starting a season uninjured. But we'll have to wait and see to what extent he can compete for victory."

Not least because, after 13 years at Honda, he now has a new chief mechanic at his side at Gresini-Ducati. This could become a decisive factor: "When you work together for so long, you can read everything from your rider's eyes. When you have to decide something quickly under stress, that is extremely helpful."

KTM hopes for super rookie
And Acosta? "His speed in the test was impressive," says Leitner. "But in racing, he will still have to learn all the processes under pressure. He has built up a lot of confidence in recent years - but he will also need that in MotoGP."

Acosta will get his first chance to prove his talent on Saturday at 5pm in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix.