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By now, Marc Marquez truly seems capable of anything, and on Saturday at Silverstone, he showed it once again. In fact, after a Friday characterised by two crashes, the Spaniard really appeared to be on the ball in qualifying, taking home pole position, despite a rough start to the day. “This morning I wasn’t feeling the best when I got up –Marc recounts – and my body took a little time to recover from yesterday’s first crash. Compared to the first day of practice, my confidence on the bike has improved and this, along with the speed, made everything possible. In qualifying, I did not think I would get below the two minute mark, but when I put the soft tyre on I found excellent grip. I pushed to the limit on a track where it is not easy to do the perfect lap, given how long it is.”
So everything was perfect, despite the clear problems with stability for the Honda in various points of the British track.
“In Austria, I had a more stable bike and one that was easier to ride, but yesterday I did not have a good feeling and I had to radically change the setup. Consequently, the bike is more unstable, but I am working on my lines with the team to rectify. We will definitely have to be very careful in some points during the race.”
In view of the race, the Spaniard is ready to manage the situation, but without giving up a bit of duelling.
“It will be a very hard-fought race since the top four riders in the overall standings will be fast – the number 93 rider comments – and in addition to them, Cal is really doing well. Choosing the right tyre based on the temperatures will be important and so will being able to managing it well, especially the rear. Tomorrow I hope not to arrive at the limit, although today I was able to do so with great confidence. It will depend on the weather and the asphalt temperature, besides all the dips. Points are important, so we always have to try.”
The Spaniard is not the only Honda rider on the front row, since Cal Crutchlow managed to follow up on his outstanding Friday, earning a valuable third spot on the grid. “It’s nice to be on the front row, although I was sure that I could drop below the two minute mark. Unfortunately, however, I made a few mistakes, especially in the third sector. My compliments to Marc and Vale. When I saw Marc in the gravel yesterday and Vale having some stomach problem, I thought I could gain a bit of advantage – Cal smiles – but that didn’t happen.”
The team LCR rider does not hide a bit of disappointment, also considering his good work yesterday.
“Yesterday I had more confidence, but the wind and the weather in general here are very important variables that can change performance. For example, this morning there was a 10% chance of rain and it rained.”
As with Marquez, Cal must also deal with the poor stability of his bike.
“The bike doesn’t seem different than the other weekends, but maybe it is simply a matter of personal habit. At the beginning of the season, we did not think we’d be as fast as we then were, and here it is a bit the same. We definitely need to work to give Honda the right indications, but I think that there are already a lot of strong points on the bike, even if stability is not one of them. Tomorrow will be very difficult, but I hope to do well. I am as fast as last year and that already makes me happy.”
