The Spanish champion doesn’t hide, the moment is very difficult and frustrating: “But it only changes with work, not sitting on a sofa”
June 23, 2023
Marc Marquez faced a Friday in Assen abnormalhe tried not to force but when, he did it minimally fell. A harmless slipeven if he limped after getting up: those are the after-effects of Sunday morning’s high side at the Sachsenring.
The Marquez who spoke to the journalists appeared thoughtful and categorically denied the rumors that he had offered himself to KTM.
Is today’s 19th place due to physical, mental or technical aspects?
“Everything influenced. I’m not physically well. The sprained foot and broken toe aren’t a big deal, it’s not much pain and it doesn’t stop me from doing anything. But the fractured rib hurts, especially when the heart rate rises. Add to this that we are in a bad situation, we are coming from a weekend in which we have lost confidence. The problem is very big. And I don’t want to go all or nothing again. Yes, I pushed a bit, but I did it in the slow corners”
How do you comment on the rumor that you were offered to KTM and they turned it down?
“I heard those rumors in the team, because a mechanic joked about it, but they are false. Totally. I have an ongoing contract with Honda, I’m committed to them and we’re working to improve the project for the future. That I offered myself is completely false”
On the possible information he can give to Honda and on his physical conditions to face the races…
“Well, useful for the brand, I hope so, because we are testing two frames. It’s true that I’m not riding 100%, but I’m riding like a test driver, trying to be constant and trying to give as much information as possible, testing the electronics. Nakagami is also testing the same thing as me, exactly the same. They have tried more things than me today. I didn’t feel like going on vacation after a weekend like that in Germany. But I wanted to ride a motorbike because when there are difficult situations any human being loses motivation, everyone. And if there is no motivation, that’s where you need to bring out strength and sacrifice, willpower, to work with the same routine. It’s the only way to turn things around, because from the sofa at home you won’t change the situation even if you have the greatest desire in the world“
How do you see the Sprint race?
“Now I feel worse than this morning, let’s see if I get up tomorrow and can keep a normal pace”
Is it very frustrating?
“Yes, yes. Frustrating, but I can’t cheat, it won’t always be like this and things change when you least expect it and if you keep working. It’s true that this year I had prepared very well during the winter and I arrived in Portimao in the physical condition of my best years. With the training bikes I rode better than ever and in the end the lap time doesn’t lie if you go fast. From there qualifying and the Portimao sprint, the Le Mans race and the lap I did at Mugello… We are in a sport where everything influences and when one of three things is not right, whether it is the rider, the bike or the team, everything gets a little worse and that’s why we all have to work together to improve”
You said yesterday that the team had some ideas to work on this weekend, but the stuff they have is what it is, if Japan doesn’t help you can’t advance, right?
“Yes, true, but the ideas are there and we will try them tomorrow. Today we simply tested the two frames. Tomorrow we will go with the one from Portimao because I haven’t raced with that for some races and we want to see what happens when we do more laps, where we are and how. And then, at Silverstone, we will try both again. In terms of geometry, the team and Santi are racking their brains to try other things.”
But Japan’s cooperation is essential, right?
“We are all in the same boat and if one side rows more than the other in the boat it is impossible to go straight. Japan is really working, we try to provide as much information as possible, they are here, the technical manager is here to hear firsthand what is happening and then they will have a month and a half to continue working”