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Marc Marquez arrived at Misano fresh off a simply triumphant weekend at Motorland Aragon. A return to victory expected, desired and achieved when we are now in the second half of the season. Perhaps this victory came slightly later than expected, but we must still remember that Marc Marquez has spent his entire career riding a Honda in MotoGP and also needed time to adapt to a completely different Ducati than the bike he was used to.
The Aragon victory might represent the moment when Marc's season changed going in a different direction, one that perhaps sees him able to remain in contention for the title even in this 2024. Misano is certainly not one of his favorite circuits, and the fact that he has to race twice on the Riviera track is not exactly a help for Marquez and the idea that he can still nurture the dream of becoming champion again. Certainly should he come out of the two Misano rounds without too much of a points gap to the leader, the battle for the title could still be considered open.
"Of course my goal for this season was to win at least one race and I did it," Marc began, "Now is the time to keep working. After that perfect weekend I feel I have an extra push that I hope to make the most of going forward and continuing to work to the maximum. With the bike and the team every race we learn something and I feel better and better. I would like to get off to a good start with the same good feeling I had at the Red Bull Ring, which would be perfect for me because it would mean that the feeling is right. I know that Aragon was also the result of a particular condition, not only for the asphalt but also for the rain that fell during the night. Here at Misano I know that Pecco, Jorge and Enea will be very fast, so the goal is to stay close to them."
What do you think of Pecco's words apologizing to Alex?
"For me it was necessary and understandable what Pecco was feeling on Sunday. It's very difficult to live a moment like that, with a world championship on the line and then go in front of the microphones. Everyone has his own idea and it is right to respect everyone's, however, words must always be correct towards the other riders."
You must have talked to Alex these days, how did you see him?
"He was disppointed Alex, because when someone accuses you of deliberately making a rival crash deliberately as a rider it is not nice to hear. We all know what we risk here every time. I would say he was very sorry, Alex is not a problematic rider, everyone knows that."
On social media they said all kinds of things.
"For me everything that is said on social media has to stay there. We are all mature enough to understand situations, then in this case Pecco also apologized immediately to Alex for his words, so there is no problem. It was a racing incident, I'm sure Alex did not see Pecco and I'm equally convinced that Pecco was slightly optimistic to close the apex like that."
Images of the first test in Valencia with Ducati pass on the screen, was that the moment you realized you were going to come back and win?
"I would say that was the moment, also in terms of my decision to continue. Also because that was the moment when I really felt that the direction of my thoughts was changing. At that moment I was already convinced that I would win at least one race in 2024. Now I know that we will have to work on the most complicated aspect of this MotoGP, which is consistency. This is the reason why Jorge and Pecco are in front and are the ones to beat. We will try to find the way to improve, especially in what are our weak points."
What represented your extra gear in Aragon, what was that superiority really due to?
"The thing is that when you are the fastest of all, people watching you think you have everything under control, that you are smart and have a very good strategy. But really it's all about speed, I felt great and smooth from the first few laps. In the race I was super focused and being faster than the others makes things easier. But it's true that I arrive here in Misano thinking I can find the feeling of the Red Bull Ring more than Aragon. At Motorland we had an impressive weekend, but I think the more realistic condition is the Red Bull Ring. Let's see here how it will go, I'll have to try to improve in the right-hand corners!"
Did you celebrate?
"I still haven't really enjoyed that win in Aragon, actually not having any weekends off I haven't celebrated properly. Last night we had a nice dinner with the Gresini guys. Then yesterday I went to the HRC box and talked to the guys in my group, told them they had to feel part of this victory. Everyone, not just Santi Hernandez. They were with me, they helped me during a very dark time in my life. So I wanted to tell these guys that they have been part of my process, especially from a personal point of view."
Do you feel you are in a title fight?
"For me the fight remains a matter between Pecco and Jorge. They have been very fast all season long. Enea was very good and fast at Silverstone, I was fast at Aragon. But they are always in front and that is the biggest difference today between us and them."
You used to win with regularity, just think about what you did until 2019. Is it harder now to win in MotoGP, even for Marc Marquez?
"Now it's harder. Until 2019 I was very fast, and I can also say that probably at that time I was working less at home, everything came easier. Now after everything that happened in my life and to my body, I have to work twice as hard, I have to do more physiotherapy. But it is the only way to do if I want to continue at a high level and I am ready to do it. It takes more effort and more time, but if I want to race at the top it is because I am able to do it."
You took a big weight off your shoulders at Aragon.
"Yes, before Aragon I was starting to worry about not winning however I must also say that often in this 2024 I felt I could do it. Then various things happened, it always seemed that for one reason or another this victory was not going to come. Now that I have done it I can't think that my goals for the season will change radically, the only thing I can do is to work on finding that consistency of results that I lack. Something that between now and the end of the year will be important, but it will be especially important for 2025, it will be decisive for whether or not I fight for the 2025 title."
Maybe this will make you live the second half of the season more serene.
"Logically I feel less pressure on me. I had this weight on my shoulders, it seems clear to me. I would say that now I will be able to race with a slightly different approach. Then there is to say that I don't think I can find another track like Aragon between now and the end of the year, so I certainly don't expect to be able to have another weekend like that. Rather, I think I can work better to be at Pecco's level more often."
Do you feel you're in the title fight?
"Anything can happen, there are so many points up for grabs. It can rain, there can be some strange races. I see it as complicated though, a single weekend doesn't change the inertia of a whole season. It can give you confidence, it certainly helps. But the inertia of the season is that there are riders going a little bit stronger than me. Of course, if I were to be 50 points behind the first, maybe I would think about it differently."
What kind of atmosphere do you think you will find in the Ducati box at your first official test?
"In the box the environment will have to be good and healthy, certainly with a good rivalry but above all healthy. On the track everyone thinks about their own interests, but when we are in the box we will certainly both work together to have the fastest bike possible, because if one doesn't win, the other must be able to win."
Photocredit ©Pier Luca Brunetti
