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MotoGP, Marquez: "I raced against myself, and won just like I wanted"

"I proved I could do a reset after Austin. I didn't look at the timesheets often. I knew that Rins would be gambling for the title. He races without pressure."

MotoGP: Marquez: "I raced against myself, and won just like I wanted"

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Operation redemption completed. Marc Marquez had a mad desire to prove that what happened in Austin was just a coincidence and, at the first opportunity, he did. In Jerez, n.93 kept breaking away lap after lap, getting stronger and taking the lead in the world rankings.

"I knew it would be a difficult race," Marc stated,  "because the new asphalt allowed everyone to get closer, but when I saw the sun, I knew it was my race.  I wanted a race like this. After Austin, some talked about my possible weaknesses, so I wanted to show that I could do a reset and win as I tried to do in the US.  I fought against myself. I didn't look at the timesheets often to understand who I was behind.”

Therefore, An outstanding victory, but less simpler than it seemed, as Marc himself seems to confirm.

"In the first five laps, I didn't ride like I usually do. I was stiff, and I was afraid of falling, but I managed well and slowly I gained a margin. When the tires dropped, and the bike started to slip, I realized it was time to push like in the tests," he said. "I attacked but kept everything under control. On lap 15, I pushed my opponents to understand my speed, and it went well. I knew this race would be built on every tenth of a second. It's not in my style to break away for a win, but when I can, it's nice to do so."

One thing is certain, Marquez remains the secret weapon capable of making the Honda take flight, even if the Spanish rider plays this down.

"I'm tired of hearing that Honda wins thanks to Marquez. I win because I have a perfect team, and the bike is very good for my riding style. There's the right harmony. There's no perfect bike nor pilot. I'm in this position thanks to everything that surrounds me."

However, the Quartararo-Morbidelli duo, who the Marquez praised, tried to keep up with n.93.

"I expected them to be fast and, when I saw Quartararo and Morbidelli behind me, I smiled, since they would have taken take points away from the other riders.  Then, on the screens, I saw that Fabio had a problem, and when the temperature fell, another race sort of started, and the positions changed."

Speaking of the Frenchman, Marquez expresses his opinion on the advent of young riders in the premier class.

"Now the mentality of young riders is immediately focused on MotoGP, so they arrive quickly in this category. I arrived young, but I made the leap from one category to another only after winning the title," he pointed out. "Now some gain the necessary experience directly in this category. I'm 26 years old, and I'm gaining experience. It's normal that there are new young riders ready to fight for the top, and it'll be my commitment to learn something from them."

Then, it's impossible not to take a look at the world rankings, where Rins and Dovizioso appear to be the most dangerous rivals.

"During the tests in Malaysia, I predicted that Rins would be in the running for the championship.  He has the advantage of not feeling pressure. If he arrives second, that's fine and, if he wins, it's even better. In any case, it's nice that there's another team in the fight. Dovizioso will be able to attack at Le Mans. It's a track that suits him."

Before Le Mans, however, we have to think about tomorrow's tests on the Andalusian track, where new things are not lacking.

"There's an important test tomorrow. We need to understand what to try in view of Le Mans. We have so many things to test, and this motivates me.  The bike is still not easy. We have to work primarily on entering corners.

 

Translated by Leila Myftija
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