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MotoGP, Marc Marquez: I'm fast because I'm having fun

Pedrosa among the protagonists on Friday at Aragón: "Calm? I am simply focused"

Marc Marquez: I'm fast because I'm having fun

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It was only Friday, but the signs were clear. Honda does not want to let the chance slip away for another finish on the top step of the podium. In the morning, Marquez handled putting the rest of the riders in line and in the afternoon it was teammate Pedrosa’s turn. In any case, Marc is ready to pounce to confirm his potential on the Aragón track.

You are off to a good start even if you took some risks.

There are some critical points, the same ones where we struggled last year with the Bridgestones. We need to try and understand these sections better, being more careful and risking less.”

This will be your home race. Will we see a Marquez in accountant version or attack mode?

“I take the same risks in every race. Obviously, this is my home race and I will certainly try to give 100%. If the confidence is there, like at Silverstone, for example, I will certainly not pull any punches. If I have the same feeling as Misano, in any case I will give it my all. The important thing is not to make the same mistakes as last year, staying calm in the first laps. This is certainly not the race that will decide the Championship.”

Today you showed that you have no rivals. You are not struggling with the tyres.

"The sensations are positive, since we have shown that we are competitive. However, we will need to see what the other riders’ choices are. At the moment, we still need to figure out which type of tyre to use, because in some cases the hard wears more quickly than the soft. We managed to work on that a lot today. Tomorrow I will do everything I can to be fast in FP3 and qualifying.”

Bridgestone vs Michelin. What changes?

“The soft Bridgestone was very stable, plus I could go into corners fast. With the Michelins you have to work a lot on the front, but the rear is higher performance. Anyway, I’ll have time to concentrate and have other data to compare. At the moment we are at a good level anyway.”

What advice have you received for the race?

I always try to have fun with the bike and the team. If you don’t have fun it is impossible to be fast. I just focus on myself, without thinking about the others.”

Pedrosa proved to be very fast.

“Having a fast teammate like Daniel is good because it is a point of reference. At Misano he helped me a lot, especially in the race, because he beat Rossi across the finish.”

At Jerez and Montmelò you missed the top step of the podium. Will this be the redemption race?

“I like to win, plus the fans here want to see you on the top step of the podium, especially after the two Spanish races. As I said, I will give it my all, risking if I feel the right confidence.”

Honda’s performance was also confirmed by Pedrosa. In difficulty in the morning due to the tyres, the Misano race winner came back in the afternoon, topping the time sheets.

A two-sided Pedrosa.

“This morning I complained of a few difficulties. In fact, I was struggling in various sections. In the afternoon, I decided to change tyres and I was able to improve, feeling more confident on the bike.”

This track does not seem to provide the right feeling.

“It’s true. The track is not the best. Also, the temperature is not as high as it should be, so we don’t have the best grip. We need to try and do something extra, although it is not simple.”

How much of an affect do the tyres have?

“The tyre has a standard profile that you can’t change. You can change the settings on the bike, the way you go into corners and your riding style in order to shave off a few tenths.”

You are coming to Spain after the win at Misano. Are you more calm now?

“Even at Silverstone I felt competitive and I was calm. I am simply focused on the work we need to do so we can confirm tomorrow what we have done here today, in other words, be fast on every point of the track.”

Now the Honda seems like a more competitive bike.

After Austria, we took an important step forward with the electronics. In fact, the new updates have allowed us to find a better feeling with the bike.”

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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