English
Italiano
It wasn’t the disappointing results of his first day of practice in Portimão that upset Marc Marquez. The Honda rider was astonished when he learned that, after his terrible fall, Pol Espargarò hit the tires that act as a barrier to the wall at the end of the run-off area. “I didn’t think he had touched them. In this case, they have to put an air fence, and not next year, but tomorrow,” he said. Marc has the safety of the circuits at heart, like all the other riders do, and they promised to complain to the Safety Commission this evening.
Once Marc was done with the safety issue, he talked about his 14th time.
“It was a standard day. For it to be excellent, I would have had to go straight into the Q2, which was the goal, even if an optimistic one,” Marc commented sincerely. “Being left out wasn’t surprising. We’re in the same position like we were in the winter tests. Our problem is the fast lap. We lose a lot. We’re not so far off on the pace. We have to keep working. Everyone was very fast today, at the limit, and that made everything more difficult. But it’s like that for everyone. Tomorrow will be an intense day.”
Were you surprised by the time?
“Yeah. When I went out this morning, the grip wasn’t good. However, with the medium tire, I was already faster than in the tests. But everyone was, and my position didn’t change.”
After the tests, you said you would choose all the best parts for your Honda. Are they going as you expected?
“I had already done it on the last day, and it’s more or less the same bike as the tests in Valencia, only with some difference in the frame. Its character is identical to last year’s. That’s why we lose at the same points. And, when you follow someone, you can improve, but you take risks in braking. In fact, that’s how I fell. I tried to follow Quartararo. Rins did the same with Bezzecchi. all the Honda riders try to be fast that way. It’s not the best, but it’s our only chance right now.”
What kind of fall was it?
“I knew I was going to fall today because I exited the second corner and then I braked too late. I knew that was the only chance I had not to lose Fabio’s trail. I went wide. I tried to do something strange to stop the bike with the rear… but it didn’t work. If I had been in a practice session or a test, I would’ve avoided falling, but today wasn’t the time to do that.”
Do you think you’ll get into the Q2 tomorrow?
“I don’t want to create easy expectations. It’ll be very difficult. Let’s see what conditions we’ll find. I think at least one Honda will get in. But Rins, Mir, and I are close, and it’ll be interesting to see who can do it, if it’ll me. I’ll have to try to improve on a riding level, because there’s nothing more we can try on the set-up.”
You're all close. Does that mean the bike is the limit?
“We’ll see it on the other tracks, but Rins and Mir have a completely different riding style than I do, and the performance is the same. They’re excellent riders. They ride differently, but their times are similar. With the medium tires, we’re far from the others and, with the soft ones, we improve in the same way. This means that’s the limit. But Portimão is a special track because, after the tests, you reach the limit very early. It’ll be different in Argentina.”
