Although the list released by Michelin showed that Marc Marquez had chosen the medium compound, at the last moment the Honda rider opted for the soft tire to complete the 27 laps scheduled for the long MotoGP race at Phillip Island.
A choice that would have allowed him to be more aggressive and to battle with his opponents, but which also had a big unknown linked to its duration. Which in fact did not prove to be sufficient.
If Jorge Martin, who like him took this gamble, one lap less would have been enough to be right with his risky choice and even win the race, Marquez’s tire lasted about half the race.
However, the eight-time world champion was aware that such a situation could arise, but considered it an acceptable risk in his current position.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
“I was surprised when I saw Martin with the soft rear tyre”, admitted the Honda rider, given that the Madrid native instead took a decidedly bigger risk than him, being in the fight for the World Championship.
“When I saw how he started, I thought: ‘Where is he going?’, and I wondered if he wanted to attack or manage until the end. But when I saw his times, I understood that he had accelerated the race.”
“At that point there was no longer any way to manage the tires and at that moment I thought I had two options: manage or have fun for ten laps and then suffer. I decided to have fun for ten laps and then suffer”, concluded the #93 in a resigned manner.
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