Marc Márquez achieved the third fastest time in the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix practice session. The Gresini rider threatened to be the fastest on Friday in Jerez but ended up two positions behind the leader, being 0.143s slower.
When asked if he knows what Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) is doing better in the final sector to be faster there, the Spaniard commented that it is something to study… but pointed out a positive aspect:
– It’s something that is time to analyze this afternoon. It’s true that this morning compared with the other Ducati riders I was faster everywhere, but this afternoon with that windy conditions I was struggling on that two fast corners and I was also struggling on the turn five – and it’s a corner in the same direction, it’s a right corner, that the wind is pushing. And I was struggling more than usual. But the good thing is that losing maybe 0.2s there, I need to analyze well, I’m 0.1s slower than him [Bagnaia]. So this is the most positive thing.
Regarding what he learned this Friday in Jerez, Márquez commented: ‘The good thing is that we can stop talking about adaptation, I mean, the adaptation is already finished. Now it’s time to work on the small details. My adaptation to the bike, I feel like I’m more ready inside the bike – as I showed today in FP1, I go out and I’m immediatly fast. But it’s true that in every race we have small problems, something here, something there, and still we dont’ put everything together in one weekend. So let’s see if we can do it in this one, in the next ones, and achieve that first podium. This will be a good target in the next two races’.
And the #93 stressed that the goal for now is just the podium before setting his sights in the victory: ‘The goal at the moment is the podium. We achieved podiums in the Sprint, but in the main race the best result is the fourth place in Qatar. It was not a podium. First, you need to be on the podium, then after the podium, to be there in a constant way and then try to find the moment for the victory. We had a good chance in Austin, but we didn’t take profit. Let’s see if we can do it in the future, but at the moment the first target is the podium’.
Despite giving the adaptation to the bike as concluded, Márquez explained that there was no radical change to the riding style, also starting to adapt the bike to himself: ‘My riding style is made for Honda, and then I try to adapt, but in the end the adaptation to the bike was there and then now we start to bring the bike to my riding style too. And this is something that helps me a lot and is the reason why I start to be fast immediatly and more consistent. You can adapt a few things, but it’s impossible to change your riding style that you were using for ten years’.