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MotoGP, Marquez: "I was worried this winter, now I can relax"

"Today, I had the same sensations as 2019 and that’s the most important thing. The Yamaha and Suzuki were not a surprise, I expected it. We have things to try, but maybe we could also try them in the second race that we will do here"

MotoGP: Marquez: "I was worried this winter, now I can relax"

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Marc Marquez's smile is no different on ZOOM as it is live. A colleague tries to draw him into pleasantries, but the multiple champion cut him short.

"I'm not good at cooking, I took care of the garden to relax," he says. And that’s the end of all the banalities, because immediately after he starts talking about the day, a double session that does not count for the race, because the times are not valid, but it counts a lot for the Grand Prix because Marc used it to check the problems of his Honda.

“I was not surprised today. I was focused on myself because in the winter I suffered technically and physically: I was worried, but now I can relax. I still felt something in my shoulder when I stopped, but nothing while I was on the bike. In Qatar we could see that we had problems, but we didn't know exactly where they came from, and now we know a little more. I feel better on the bike, more at ease. Did the Yamaha and Suzuki surprise me? No, I expected it. "

We try to get Marquez to go into more detail, but without too much luck.

Marc Marquez: today I had the same sensations as 2019, that is the most important thing

"In Qatar we had aerodynamic problems, positive but also negative points, so we tried the 2019 bike with some evolutions. We still have balance problems, but perhaps they come from the engine: we are not sure. It is important to start well because the season will be short and you will have to make few mistakes. At the moment the bike we are using is an evolution, it is not exactly the same frame, swingarm and engine as the previous one ... in Jerez we have things to try, but maybe we could also try them in the second race that we will do here. More than taking steps forward, we have tried to reduce the problems. In fact, to make progress, you need to ride to the limit, but luckily all the Honda riders have the same problems. However, I am happy and above all calm: you can always improve, the Yamaha and Suzuki are going well, but while in Malaysia and Qatar I had physical and technical problems, here today I had the same sensations as 2019 and that is the most important thing. Basically, it's the bike we had in Qatar. And all we have to try was the same as in the pre-season. I was fast in the morning but I was not consistent, in the afternoon we worked on the pace".

The conversation shifted to this strange Spanish Grand Prix to be raced in the height of summer.

"The conditions are harsh because of the heat, but Thailand is worse, at least it is not humid here - explains Marc, who adds - we have some limitations with the staff, but I am lucky because my physiotherapist, Carlos, also works in the Clinica Mobile so he is here".

Marc Marquez: It was not normal for my brother Alex to be directly in the HRC team

Inevitably the question also arises about the 'dismissal' of his brother Alex, who next year will abandon the official Repsol team to join the LCR satellite team.

“I never forced my teammate - was his answer - I have always respected Honda's decision, as Jorge Lorenzo's case shows. Now HRC believed that Pol was my ideal companion and for Alex I think it's a positive and normal thing. What was not normal was for him to be directly in the HRC team. Quartararo, Stoner, Bagnaia, Morbidelli arrived in MotoGP in a satellite team, and after all Alex will have the support of the factory so for this reason, I am happy for him ".

Alex Marquez: The goal for me was to have a two-year deal, I can't ask for more

An opinion apparently shared by his brother who revealed that he heard the news of his downgrading while he was at home.

“Yes, I was at home, like everyone else. The situation was obviously difficult because it was not possible to renew my contract since there had been no races. The goal for me was to have a two-year deal, but lately the market has been strange and everyone signed early. In Honda, making these decisions is never easy, but I'm happy, I can't ask for more. The contract for 2021 gives me peace of mind, the mentality is the same: try to improve. This 2020 I will try to learn as fast as possible, and then next year I will be in the LCR team, which has a great deal of experience and has achieved excellent results with Crutchlow. After all, Honda's goal is to win, mine to work with tranquillity. In the end, Honda believed in me and I will have the same material with a very professional team. "

Obviously, even for Alex, the return to the seat of a MotoGP bike was challenging…

“I knew that the first day would be difficult for a rookie, it is not easy to get back on a MotoGP bike, but the situation is strange for everyone. My target is to be the best rookie of the year, and I will have fast opponents like Binder. I want to get better every time I get on the bike. As also in Malaysia the first day was tough; the other guys tested in Misano, but even if the conditions don't help, I will be ready ".

 

 

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