MotoGP | Marquez: “I didn’t see myself capable of finishing second either”

Rarely have we seen a better start than that of Marc Marquez on Saturday afternoon. A dream start that saw him gain nine positions on the first lap. A circumstance that allowed him to face the Sprint with much more confidence than he had imagined.

The Spaniard positioned himself close to the podium positions, but benefited from the early start which forced Aleix Espargaro to make two long laps and from the fall of Marco Bezzecchi, who was in front of him. The crash of the Italian of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 brought him two seconds behind Jorge Martin, the winner, a result that almost seems like a victory if you take into account all the hard work he had to do after a first day in which everything was gone wrong.

Due to a setup error on his Ducati, the Gresini Racing rider was left out of Q2 and found himself 13th on the starting grid. A position that, nine times out of ten, should exclude you from the fight for the top five. Despite this, Marquez brought out the best in himself and went against the establishment to make it clear that he competes like no one else.

“I made a perfect start. I didn’t see myself capable of finishing second either. It’s no longer about the first corner, nor the second, nor the third. It’s the first moment. Either you start well or it’s impossible to find the right position. I was lucky to find the gap and pass fourth on the first lap”, said the driver from Cervera (Lleida).

“But, apart from the start, the important thing is that I showed my potential, I had the pace. We learned a lot with the team and this morning I found the rhythm. I managed to leave everyone else behind and go after Bezzecchi”, added the number 93, who went to sleep on Friday with many things in his head, more doubts than certainties, and who on Saturday instead will sleep like a baby.

“Tomorrow it will be impossible to be fourth on the first lap. The best thing is that we managed to react and that I demonstrated that I have speed. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, I am happy with my potential in the dry. Today I can sleep peacefully, no one can take this result away from me”, continued the Catalan, who will possibly be able to take advantage of the rain if it arrives tomorrow.

“The rain, if you start from 13th place, can help you a little. But sometimes it’s your greatest ally or your worst enemy,” Marquez, who is sixth in the world championship ahead of Sunday’s race, told 35 points from Martin, who is still the leader.