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Marc Marquez had to redeem himself from the Texas crash and he did it in a big way. The multiple world champion did not miss his appointment with the top spot and in Qatar he took the pole start and the first race of the weekend by immediately setting the record straight and firing off a warning to his direct rivals starting with his teammate.
"I'm really happy, but I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground ahead of tomorrow. This Saturday went beyond expectations, which means things are working out for us. With the used tires I feel more comfortable than with the new ones, I think I can improve a bit more and the important thing is that on a circuit marked in red, for the moment, we have regained the lead. Let's see if we can maintain it tomorrow or lose as few points as possible," he said smilingly.
Good-naturedly accused of being disingenuous in his declarations or pretending to be hesitant, the champion from Cervera replied, "When I approach a weekend I try to be realistic, like for example in Austin when I said I would try to win, I really tried and I was wrong. When I talk to the press I can be cautious, but in my mind I'm optimistic, however, you can't know how it's going to go until you get out on the track. Here in Lusail I arrived thinking I had to contain the damage having often finished far from the best and instead I immediately felt good, I hit pole and won the race on Saturday, however it is right not to celebrate early because tomorrow the race is long. Tomorrow will be a bit more of a managed race, but I manage the rear tire pretty well; the front is the one I have to keep a bit of an eye on, in those 2-3 corners where I force a bit too much, but that's what I did in the Sprint, not to force in those corners and save some for the end in case I need to."
Then called upon to comment on the performance of his brother, second on the day, the 32-year-old acknowledged, "Alex is having an amazing championship. He can control the situations and limits well, which is why he is where he is at the moment. In the overall he is behind me by two points, so for tomorrow I expect an attack from him, as well as from Bagnaia. Having said that for now I have defended myself well, I think however that if Pecco had not made a mistake in qualifying we would be telling a different story because he would have started from the front row, he would have attacked and he would have been in the lead and he would have won because on Friday he had a great pace and also this morning with very used tires. As America showed, in a few seconds everything can change."
About the ideal conditions in view of the race he claimed, "With the heat and used tires I go better, as I feel more comfortable when the track is more slippery. When racing in the evening hours, however, I suffer more feeling the vibrations more, but then when the tyre starts to drop I find the good feelings again. To understand, today I controlled the first four laps and then I started to push."
When asked if he expected such a start to the World Championship, the eight-time world champion said, "Not at all. I won't hide the fact that this Saturday was very important for me because the Lusail track forces me to ride against my instincts, but I succeeded. Tomorrow I will have to replicate and try to finish on the podium. Let's say that I'm working to improve my approach to the right turns and in fact I got closer to the strongest riders, but also to better understand the bike and make the most of it in every situation. At what level do I feel? Like in 2019. After the recent mistake I've turned a corner, but you have to continue with caution because it looks like I'm dominating and instead I only have a two-point lead."
Still looking ahead to the GP, the Spaniard pointed out, "If we go worse than others we will have to accept it. Overall it will be hard to manage the first laps with a full load of fuel. As for my rivals I expect Alex and Di Giannantonio to be in good shape in the second half of the race and also Bagnaia despite starting behind."
