English
Italiano
Exhausted but happy. Sepang wasn’t only important for Marquez in putting the new Honda to the test, but it was also important for his body. He should be satisfied, and not only with his 8th time in the standings.
"I’m happy, overall. Doing laps is the best thing for the bike and for my body,” he explained. “The most important thing was to understand this bike better and, when I pushed, I reached the time. In the afternoon, I tried some major changes, but I rode safely, because my body didn’t do what I wanted it to do. I didn’t fall on purpose.”
Marc had to find the right balance between the desire to test and the need not to exceed the limit.
“A long run was scheduled for the afternoon. Luckily, it rained, because I was already exhausted,” he said jokingly. “But I did a few laps on the wet asphalt, and the bike performed well.”
The Spanish rider knows what his next step will be.
"I just have to grind miles,” he said. “You can sometimes get confused during the tests. So, with more time in the bike, I will be able to understand what I need and what the potential of the new bike is."
Honda changed the RC213V’s DNA.
"It’s quite a different bike,” he confirmed. “My strong point has always been speed when entering corners, and this bike is lacking this, because the philosophy is to be able to set the time when exiting corners. First of all, I have to be able to be constant. Today, I wasn't because of my body. As soon as I succeed, I’ll adapt to the bike. Once that’s done, I’ll adapt the bike to me."
Marquez is clear on the fact that he has to get back in shape.
"Right now, the limit is not the bike, but my body,” he admitted. “I felt good in the morning, but I progressively started to lose more time. We knew it was going to rain around 1pm. But, at noon, I told the team that I had to stop. I couldn't take it anymore. My shoulder reacts well. The problem is my overall physical condition. These two days of testing were the best possible training for me, as the next three in Mandalika will be. Then, I'll rest back home."
Marc learned to recognize his limits last year.
"You have to understand the situation you’re in. Last year, I was in trouble until I did. From then on, I got results,” he recalled. “ Maybe, in the first race in Qatar, I'll suffer, or maybe I'll be up front. At the moment, I don't know. It’ll take the first three races to understand where we are. If we look at the standings, the best bike is Aprilia, but the races are always very different from the tests. In practice, they’re always fast."
