MotoGP, Marquez: "You don't become champion without taking risks"

Maverick Viñales was about to rain on Marc Marquez’s parade on the Austin Saturday. In the end, however, the Spaniard re-established the hierarchy in his citadel, taking his second pole position of the season after the one two weeks ago at Rio Hondo.

“I can say that this is the first real pole of the season after the rain in Qatar and Argentina. I did not think I would be first this time, because with the soft tyre the Yamahas are very fast.”

How were the qualifiers?

“From the first lap, I was able to be fast. Then in the second I tried to find the reference points to be even more competitive and in the end I was able to bring home this best time.”

Now your thoughts are turned toward the race.

“It will be a very long race, demanding both for the tyres and physically. Tyre choice will definitely take on significant value, but I am still confident in my race pace, since in FP4 I had positive feedback.”

You mentioned the tyres.

“With the medium, I should be able to make it if temperature is the same. If it gets hotter, I’ll have to rely on the hard solution and it would be a risk.”

How will you tackle the race? Is the goal to win or can you also settle?

“A podium is definitely better than another crash. A win is always important, but it comes with some risks. Before the race I will see what the sensations are and then I’ll decide how to tackle it. If I can attack, I will. Maverick certainly has the potential to win, but Rossi is also right there among the contenders.”

It may only be the third race, but you cannot afford more mistakes.

“It is always fundamental to bring home points, but in order to be a champion you have to take risks. Right now I am not thinking about closing the throttle. On the contrary, I need to push and be at the limit.”

Going back to the morning, what work did you do in FP3?

“I wanted to compare the two bikes, finding a lot of confidence in the front end. I cannot go into too much detail, but with this engine configuration, the bike’s balance changes a lot. One step at a time, however, we are getting close to a better base, although there are different sensations on every circuit.”

There have been two crashes.

“The first accident was because of a mistake I made. I think I got the trajectory wrong and I ended up on the ground. In the second one, on the other hand, I was not even going that fast. I locked up the rear. The tyre was too cold and I ended up in the gravel.”

Will it be a head to head with Viñales in the race?

“Yes, Maverick and I have a very similar pace. In the past this was a favourable track for my style and the bike, but I know that he will be aiming for the win.”

How do you imagine the final lap with Viñales?

“If we both have the chance to win in the finale, we will both try, otherwise I will settle for the podium.”

There were a lot of crashes on Saturday. How do you explain that?

“This year we are struggling a lot with the soft tyres, so we need to rely on the hard solutions, but with them there is a high risk of losing grip. We will definitely need to find the compound with the best performance and discuss it with race direction.”

Did you see the save Baz made on the last corner?

"Yes, my compliments to him. It was better than mine in the Brno tests… he broke my record!"

Social media survey: What ingredient would Rossi be on a pizza?

“Cheese, because it is on every pizza.”