MotoGP, Mat Mladin explains the Jerez duel: "I'm a fan of Marquez, but of everyone."

Marc Marquez's return to a Grand Prix podium in Jerez, albeit beaten by Pecco Bagnaia, created a lot of controversy on social media. Obviously there were many of his fans who applauded the newfound champion, but also many detractors, orphans of that 2015, who did not miss the opportunity pee denigrate him.

One might say: this is normal. And instead it's just a sign of a motorcycling-but it also applies to other sports-where if you think for yourself but your attentions are on the wrong athlete (for the crowd), you become a fan. A word that would have its dignity but is nowadays pronounced in a derogatory way.

That's why we like to bring back these two posts by Mat Mladin, a rider who needs no introduction and who in his career had made a reputation as a tough guy, because we believe that the opinion of a champion is important. Even in the way he expresses himself. For the record, for those who do not remember, Mladin began his European motorcycle racing career with Cafiva in 1993. Those were the days of Doug Chandler and John Kocinski but the Varese 500 was not yet the one that, the following year, closed the world championship in third place behind Doohan's Honda, Cadalora's Yamaha and ahead of Schwantz's Suzuki.

(p.s.)

From Mat Mladin's Facebook.

"It was great in this (post race) interview to hear Marc correct the interviewer when he said the crash at Texas wasn't his fault. Marc was quick to say not correct.

As I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, in racing you have to adjust your approach to a race very quickly and on the fly if you are thinking about championships. If you have a problem, you have to adjust. If you don't have championship on your brain then you can let it hang out.

The last few years I raced I crashed with multiple seconds leads. I could have shut it down many times but I didn't want to. That's where I was in my racing journey. By the end of my career the very thought of shutting it down at all to think about another number one plate made me feel ill.

In contrast, my first three championship wins in the USA, I didn't crash for two and half years. From Daytona tire test in December of 98 until Brainerd in July or August of 2001. In testing or racing, not a single crash. When you race for championships you don't always look like a hero but that's the price you pay for the number one plate.

What makes Marc the champion that he is, isn't just his incredible skill and work ethic, but his ability to soak up the mistakes and call himself out.

Very few riders do this! It's always someones or somethings fault but never there own.

Under the current MotoGP regulations and MotoGP races more emulating Moto3 where a large swath of riders are able to win, Marc will have to learn something he has rarely had to do in the past and that is take the wins when you can but more importantly bring home points if you can't win".

(...)

 

"I said earlier in the year on here and a podcast that now Marc has a Duc, he is going to be there. I was asked if I think he is going to clean up to which I said, NO! Do I think he'd be the one to beat if they got rid of the electronics and wings, YES! But he isn't the one to beat. He has work to do, like many!

Whilst I believe there are a few riders that should have been let go years ago, I appreciate and admire the MotoGP racers because I know how hard it is to show up every weekend year in and year out.

With the lads having sprint races every weekend along with the full length Sunday race, the pressure over the course of a season is immense. I remember in the States when they started running the double headers with a race on Saturday and Sunday and the extra pressure this brought.

You had to be up to speed quickly on Friday. There was no time to screw around. If you had a little mechanical or crash it ate into the limited track time that adding a Saturday race does.

(...) You all know I'm a fan of Marc, but I am a fan of all of them. I was on the edge of the seat watching last Sunday's race and when the checkers dropped I was pumped for Pecco for beating Marc. Pecco is a two time world champion but at a time when Marc had his hands tied. Pecco wants to prove he can beat one of the greatest talents when on similar machinery, and he did.

I've lived through the roller coaster of thoughts playing on my mind during race weekends so I would imagine Pecco felt a lot of relief for winning that one “Mano a Mano”.

I collected a paycheck as a professional for eighteen years. I have just a bit of experience about the mental game.

Living your life on a motorcycle is full on. The danger factor every day of your life for a couple of decades takes its toll. The immense concentration for forty minute stints for years on end makes you tired. It's a grind. I didn't retire because I didn't love racing a motorcycle fast anymore! I was tired. I felt like I needed to sleep for a year.

In the end I'm a fan of racing, especially watching two of the best just grinding it out mentally and physically like we witnessed a few days ago.

With the Jorge Martin crash it brought many back into the championship. Thanks Jorge from the spectators

Roll on Le Mans".