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Marquez is back and he hasn't forgotten how to ride. He put the seal on it with the 8th quickest time of the day at Aragon (first Honda, less than 4 tenths from the best) and that is already good news. However, Marc does not wish to get caught up in enthusiasm, because a single lap is one thing and a 23-lap race is another. That said, things could hardly have gone better.
"I am very happy, especially with my progress during the day because in the morning I was struggling to have the right position on the bike, I didn’t feel at ease - says Marquez - Then, in the afternoon, my pace improved but above all I felt better. We still have to work on the bike, because there are some weak points, but I'm happy with myself. We'll see tomorrow".
You also almost crashed a couple of times ...
“It was what I imagined, in the tests you are alone, in the race weekend it is different, the tension is different, especially when you put on new tyres. At the last corner the bike slid and at that moment I felt something in my shoulder, but it’s normal because the muscles are not yet strong enough to absorb certain movements. If I ride normally, however, there is no problem ".
Compared to the Honda you rode at Mugello, how was the one you used today different?
“It's exactly the same, I started with the Austin setup. Nakagami is using some evolutions, Honda has worked a lot with him, but I preferred to start with what I knew, there will be time in the next races to try new things. In the afternoon I used the aluminium swingarm, I did my best time with it, but I still don't have a clear idea of which one is the best. Last year I was more fluid, I need to do more kilometres because speed is one thing and the way you ride is another. "
You promised you would be calm in this GP, are you still like that?
"I don't know how the body will react tomorrow and I don't know how it will react on Sunday, and I don't know how it will react for 23 laps. But at the moment, in the actual MotoGP, if you are quiet, you are last. You see how tight the times are. Even like this, pushing, it's difficult to be in the top 10. So, I'm riding. As always, I try to push, try to find my limits. Sooner or later, I prefer later than sooner, the first crash will arrive. But that's normal, it's part of our job, I accept that.”
In the Misano tests you said you could only do about ten laps in a row, now instead?
"I never did a long run and I will not do a long run tomorrow. I hope with the adrenaline of the race and all these things I can do race distance. I know that I will suffer, but if you suffer you drop a little bit your pace and you suffer less. This is easy. If you increase your pace and you are pushing more, it will be more demanding on the physical side. The good thing when you see you are not good enough, you drop your pace, and it's basically what I did in Le Mans and Mugello – my last two races.”
Are you still convinced that you will only have a 1% chance of getting on the podium?
“The percentage has remained the same, I'm far away and there are many riders who go fast. However, that's not my goal, I would do something great by finishing the race in a good way, not too far from the top 5. Now I have to stay where the body and the bike are going. If I look at my pace, I could be between 8th and 10th place, but it is unknown how it will be in the race, for the moment I have done a maximum of 4 laps in a row ".
Today you are again the first Honda rider in the standings.
“Yes, but that's not my goal and I'm still a long way from where I want to be. It is certainly a motivation, but after 3 months of stopping, I ride with instinct. As I said in the winter, and I repeat today, I don't ride this bike naturally and the same happens to the Honda riders. In the end I know where I have to brake, accelerate and turn, I do it in a different way but for one lap I can compensate, it's in the race where we need to improve ”.
Did this day surprise you?
“I was surprised at Misano and I was surprised again today, because the afternoon went better than the morning. I know how I am and where I want to go, the body will tell me if it is possible. In the winter I will understand to what extent the arm can recover. In Aragon I am on one of my favourite tracks, in Japan and Thailand I will suffer a lot more ”.
Will you have to work just on yourself?
“Even on the bike. Tomorrow I will start to try something important, of course if I do that I will sacrifice the results a bit, but I am here to better prepare for 2023 ".
Will it make the bike more natural for you?
“Last year's bike was, but it was also slower. If we look at our results, the Hondas are far from the leaders but are faster than last year. A compromise has to be found, now in MotoGP everyone is very close, even on a long circuit like this one ”.
