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Marc Marquez is very strict with himself and, after a sixth place in Portimão, he’s not at all satisfied. He revealed that, in the Spanish GP, he won’t be waiting for Monday to test the developments on his RC213-V. The goal for him is to regain the confidence he had in the past that, for the moment, he doesn’t have.
"We were too far from the podium and the victory in Portimão. A sixteen second gap is too much. The first three are showing a great level, but we’re not comfortable. I’m generalizing, When you're in your ’sweet moment’, you can do special things, but when you come from a difficult time like mine, you need help from the bike ... I don't have all the confidence I need, so I can't try to ride differently without the risk of falling. When you’re confident, you reach the times without pushing. Now we're in Jerez, and I don't know what to expect, but we'll try to be fast. We have some ideas. I’m not only thinking about improving the bike, but also myself on the bike. My test starts tomorrow, but not with new parts. We first have to find the foundation. Our opponents have it, and that's why they're fighting for the World Championship. The first thing we need to find is a foundation on which I feel comfortable. Once we get there, we can do better. There are three things, the rider, the bike, and the team. If you find the direction and stability, you have to always stay in the top five. Now, for example, the bikes are more at the limit, the current one is more stable but you can’t brake late. It’s a difficult compromise to find."
We’re all wondering in which direction Marc wants to develop it. The answer is concise.
"I'll look for my own direction. I don't know if it’ll be good for others but, personally, I don't care."
It was in Jerez, before the 2020 accident, when Marc Marquez seemed to be playing another sport, that’s how superior he was. Now we’re wondering how long it’ll take to see him as fast as he was in the past.
"Returning to Jerez, in a normal race, is great. This is a circuit where, if there’s an audience, you notice it. There’s lots of passion. It's a good question to ask when we're going to get back to that level. The new Honda is more comfortable on wide, fast circuits, like in Qatar, in Malaysia or Indonesia, but on small ones, where we have to curve quickly from one side to the other, we struggle. I don't really know if the solution is near or far. What’s certain is that we have to find it, but the potential is there."
Marc seems to have improved a lot even physically.
"Yes, the condition of my right arm is acceptable to have good races, like in Austin. It’s a different arm from before, but it’s acceptable."
But Marquez battled it out pretty well, and beat his brother, Alex, in Portimão. One more point that, like in the case of his manager, Emilio Alzamora, could count for the World Championship.
"Too optimistic. My brother and I help each other and train together but, when we're on the track, and in the race, everyone thinks for themselves and has their own secrets."
According to Marc, Jerez isn’t a circuit that’s favorable to the features of the Honda.
"Jerez is a narrow circuit, where it’s difficult to pass, especially today, with devices that lower the bike. Now it's even harder with aerodynamics. Normally, if you start in one position, you stay there."
The latest news is that you’ll now test less.
"The engine that’ll be tested in Valencia will be the same one that’ll be used in Malaysia. The rest, frame, etcetera, we can test during the year. Obviously, if you have more races, you can’t think of being able to continue to do lots of tests. With the current competition, there are not many days in the calendar for the tests."
This weekend, Jorge Lorenzo will be included in the hall of fame as a MotoGP legend.
"You may or may not agree with him, but Jorge has always had a strong personality. And, when he was in shape, he was unbeatable. He rode incredibly well. I have a lot of respect for him, and I learned a lot from him. As a teammate, he had a different mentality than mine. But, when he was riding, he was fast, consistent with himself, and with a great personality. That’s important. But I don’t want to insert him in any ranking. I don’t like them. Every rider has his year and his time."
