Marc Marquez crashed when there were less than two laps to go, but for him there was only applause for what he showed at Le Mans. A race in which the phenomenon from Cervera put his heart into it astride a Honda that continues to give him a hard time.
As usual, the number 93 managed to patch things up, showing his talent and that competitive spirit that has remained intact within him. Despite the regret, the glass should be considered half full.
“Honestly, I’m very, very happy about the race today – he said - It’s a shame we didn’t receive any good results with all the hard work we did. We crashed with one lap and a half remaining. I crashed at 7, but the crash started at 6 because the bike was wobbling so much. But I was riding in a very good way. It was a long time ago that I was feeling like this myself – not with the bike. Myself, I was riding well, I was going into the corner with some sliding, I was braking late. I was able to fight against the other riders. I’m happy about that. Of course, I’m unhappy about the result, but maybe the only problem was the podium was close and maybe I was not ready to fight for the podium. But anywhere, I prefer to lose a race like this and not to finish in 10th position. I enjoyed it, but we need to keep working to improve for the future.”
His smile is evident on his face even though he finished with nothing.
“I haven't felt certain sensations for a long time, I mean riding, as well as the way I braked and the fight with the other riders. It was the best weekend in terms of confidence, because when you don't have confidence it's hard to give your all. But I'm sure we'll improve for the future."
Then there is the issue of the chassis.
“Of course, the chassis is a small difference, but it’s not the solution. Mir was using the chassis and Mir is a world champion, and you saw he was struggling, he was in the back and he crashed again. So, we need to change something for the future to be more competitive, to be more safe because every year all the Honda riders we are in the top ranking of crashing. It’s not only me; Mir crashed three, four times in Jerez, here three times. So, we need to keep working with the team to improve. Other than that I think people at home enjoyed watching the race. I'm a fighter, I was at the limit, even if controlled."
Honda must certainly try to take an important step forward towards its champion.
“This morning when I got up I felt like the third day in Malaysia. I was tired and in the race I had to try very hard to keep up, but I was able to defend myself. The important thing is that the podium was there and I fought throughout the race, despite having pain in my forearms in the last seven laps".
Ducati won in France and the Reds remain the benchmark as always.
“Honda is still behind, but already in Portimao I didn't go badly, considering the podium in the Sprint Race and the sensations in the long race. It's difficult to fight with the others because they come close to you under braking, you always have to fight with the front in braking and doing it for 27 laps isn't easy, since you risk crashing."
Now it’s time for Mugello.
“I have a contract with Honda and I believe in my group. I'll use the next few weeks to work and I'm convinced that Honda will too. I have made certain requests to improve our weaknesses and I believe in their work. The World Championship? Today we were on a track that suited my style, in fact under acceleration I was able to make the most of my potential. At Mugello, on the other hand, the situation could be difficult, given that the Ducatis are strong on any track. Apart from that, I'm happy with the tussle with Martin. It will also be true that we lost points for the championship, but honestly, with this bike it's difficult to think about the World Championship".