ROME, Jan 21 — Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez said 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 and 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 underway in Qatar on March 10. — AFP