The most atypical pre-season in recent years concluded on Thursday in Thailand, with Marc Marquez revealing his intention to become the top dog in MotoGP again – no matter what the cost. MotoGP held five days of testing in Malaysia and Thailand in February, giving all five manufacturers a chance to hone their new bikes before the start of the season later this month. The winter turned out to be a lesson in humility for Ducati, which is set to begin the season in practically the same way as it ended last year: mostly likely winning and with a bike that is nearly identical. Far from hiding from the situation, those at the helm of the Borgo Panigale marque have recognised the lack of progress, aware that the GP24 it built for last year was the perfect bike. However, this ‘stagnation’ at Ducati has created the perfect situation for the competition to regain ground on it for the first time in years. Over at Yamaha, a discrete performance in Buriram has raised questions about the extent of improvement seen at Sepang, while also highlighting the upward trend at fellow Japanese manufacturer Honda. Aprilia ended pre-season in a solid manner, with Marco […]