‘Feels positive’ for Argentina
Marquez says he is positive for the Argentinian GP.
We come to Argentina in a positive mood after achieving a third-place finish in Qatar, a result that wasn’t really predictable before the start of the season. We worked very hard and very well with Honda and with the team over the weekend, and on race day I was able to push as hard as is currently possible. Of course we haven’t had a winter test here to count on and we’ll have to see if the setup we found in Qatar will also work here. That would be a good step forward for us, generally speaking, and we could even aim for a little bit better result on Sunday. Of course it will be a question mark until Friday but all in all, Argentina is a circuit that I like. We’ve always been fast here, so I feel positive for the weekend.
Comments on Qatar booing
After Lorenzo and Marquez were booed on the podium at Qatar, Marquez says he is prepared to encounter more negativity.
It’s something that, for example, in soccer I heard and I don’t like. So I don’t like it in MotoGP, also if it’s against me. But in the end it’s something that, I’m not stupid, I know that it will be usual. We must adapt and for me the most important thing, is it doesn’t matter the [supporter merchandise] colour of the fans – if it’s yellow, black, red – I think everybody enjoyed the race in Qatar.
Lorenzo says he is confused by the reaction:
We didn’t do anything wrong during the last months. We just concentrated on going very fast. I won the championship, Marc tried to do [his best] in 2015 and he is starting this season also like me – to try to be professional and to try to be the best on the track.We are risking our life in the process. So I don’t know what we did wrong, just be very fast and beat some riders.
Rossi:
Boo? I don’t know. I don’t know.
Argentina Friday practice: First place
Marquez is fastest in Friday Practice a the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit in Argentina.
Today was a bit of a strange day, but the feeling was good in the end and we finished first on the timesheets. I think that the conditions will change a lot during the weekend, even from the first to the second session we saw the surface improve, although not as much as we had expected. So far track conditions are worse than last season so it seems that the times will be a long way off those from last year, but it will be the same for everyone and we are trying to manage it in the best way possible and adapt the bike as best we can.
Takes pole position
After qualifying, Marquez takes pole position, with a time of 1h39.411. He is unable to improve on his fastest lap time due to a late crash at Turn 1, a heavy fall resulting in no serious injuries. Due to a failure on Scott Redding’s tire, Michelin has decided to withdraw both rear tyres on safety grounds, and introduce the extra “special” rear compound brought for such an occasion. Each rider will have four of these rear tyres for Sunday.
I’m happy with how the bike is going and with the pace we have. We know what my crashes today were due to; the first was down to changing the setup but the second was because we pushed too hard. That is what happens in the qualifying session. Tomorrow we’ll give everything we have in the race…After this decision from Michelin, I think that tomorrow will be a bit of an unknown because everyone will have a different tyre spec from what we’ve used for the whole weekend. We’ll wait and see how it works. We’ll have two warm-up sessions, one of 30 minutes and the other 20, to gather information, and we’ll have to see if everything goes well. Let’s hope there won’t be too many differences from the tyres we’ve been using so far.
Wins Argentinian GP
Marquez wins the Argentinian GP. Marquez came under pressure from Rossi in the first half of the 20-lap race, but after the pit stop Rossi fell seven seconds behind Marquez. Rossi was then overtaken by Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone of Ducati. However, on the final lap, the Ducati riders crashed, leaving Rossi in second.
Looking for fourth Austin victory
Marquez says he is looking forward to the Austin GP. He won his first MotoGP race there in 2013, at age 20 the youngest ever rider to win a MotoGP, and has since won three straight victories all from pole position.
It’s a track that I like, where I feel strong, and where I’ve always had good races and good fun. The track rewards strong acceleration, which hasn’t been one of our strongest points so far this year, so we’ll have to wait and see how we can manage the situation. We’ll keep working hard, as we did in Argentina, and we’ll try to find the best pace for the Sunday race.
Lanesplitter AMA
Marquez answers questions from Lanesplitter readers. His favorite track:
MM: Austin is actually one of them, but I also love Phillip Island and Aragon. I like the left turns, because I grew up riding flat track, and they all have many different types of sections and corners. Lots of elevation changes.
LS: Are you a fan of the many rider aids like wheelie control, traction control etc? Or would you rather it be all down to the rider?
MM: The bikes we ride are developed for them. So you have to use them, if you were to take them out you’d have to redesign the bikes. But the aides are for safety. If you tried to use them to make you fast, you would not.
LS: Would you like to run the Isle of Man TT one day?
MM: Yes, but only for fun, not for race.
Rossi: Marquez dangerous, ‘plays tactics’ with bike
Rossi says he no longer buys his rival’s claims of weakness.
I always considered he was very dangerous. The Honda seems very good to me. According to me, when he talks about difficulties [with the bike], Marquez plays a bit of tactics, he feathers his own nest, but he knows very well that this is a very strong bike…It’s true also that he looks much faster than [Dani] Pedrosa, especially here [in Austin]. This means he’s comfortable and he will be hard to beat.
Fourth pole position in four years
Marquez claims his 60th pole of his career and takes the pole position in the Americas GP for the fourth year in a row. His time of 2’03.188, is 0.069s faster than Jorge Lorenzo. Valentino Rossi places third.
Wins Americas GP
Marquez wins the Americas GP, at the Circuit of The Americas course in Austin, Texas. It is his fourth win in a row. Marquez leads from the front throughout the race. Jorge Lorenzo is second. Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso all crash out of the race.
I’m really happy. I feel really great on this circuit.
Tyre ‘destroyed’ in race
Marquez says Michelin helped in his choice to chose a soft front, going against the rest of his rivals, saying he pushed as hard as he could early in the race because he was unsure how long the rubber might last.
During warm-up I tried a different front tyre [the medium], the same as everybody was using, but I didn’t feel good,” Marquez said after the race. I want to thank the Michelin guys because they helped me to make the decision [to use the soft]. Until lap 12 the tyre was perfect but after the race it was completely destroyed. I knew it would be on the limit, but I try to use this potential in beginning of the race, try to open this gap. I kept pushing during all the laps because I didn’t know when the drop would arrive. When there were five laps to go, I start to feel a big close feeling at the front.
On his championship lead:
Of course I’m happy with this advantage that we have. Okay, it’s only the third race, but we already have 21 points so this is really important for me and the team. The other riders make a few mistakes, but you must be there – and now in Europe we will see, because Jorge will be really strong.
Honda bike ‘getting better with every session’
Marquez credits Honda’s improvements to his bike.
Every time, we find something, something new, in the electronics or in the bike. We are improving step by step. [At Austin] we improved the start, the electronics on the start, so the start was much better than the other ones. Also we improved a little bit the engine braking, we found something after Argentina, so step by step we are improving. On Friday I tried some wings, I tried a different fairing, so we are working. OK it’s possible to be [going the] wrong way, but I hope that now we are in the correct way and we must follow this way and try to work with the same style…I remember the feeling of Malaysia that I was pushing 100 per cent in the first day [of pre-season testing] and I was 1.5 seconds slower per lap than Jorge [Lorenzo]. That feeling was really frustrating. But the key I think is I always believed in Honda, in my team. They worked a lot. They are still working because we are not at our 100 per cent level with the performance.
Uses different riding style for Michelin tyres
Marquez says MotoGP’s switch to Michelin tyres prompted him to try to adopt a smoother riding style during pre-season testing.
During the pre-season I was thinking a lot about riding style, trying to find another way to ride with Michelin and all of these things. Also the balance of the bike didn’t feel great, so I tried to change many, many things. But in the end, when I felt well on the bike – the first time in the last day of pre-season [testing in Qatar] – I tried to use again my normal riding style. Some slides, I tried to control these slides, because if not I will overheat the tyres. In the end, when a rider feels comfortable with the bike and everything is working well, it comes naturally. Your style is one [style] and you cannot change. I always have an aggressive style, sliding a lot, but in the end, OK, you can improve in terms of the condition of the track, but it comes natural…We must understand that this year it’s different tyres and the riding style is different. Of course I arrived [in Austin] and on the first day I was braking on the same point like on Bridgestone and I was not able to stop the bike. We must understand that this tyre works in a different way and have some worse points and some points that are much better.
Needs more acceleration for European rounds
Marquez says the European circuits will pose new challenges.
I’m happy with these races but in another side I want to arrive in Europe. Different kinds of racetracks, more narrow, different kind of tarmac, it’s the older style tarmac. Honda is working hard and I keep pushing a hundred per cent, every practice, every lap and it looks like [in Austin] we could manage, but the question mark will be Europe…We understand more things, and still Honda is working hard to bring us some acceleration. Especially in fourth, fifth, sixth gear, I can’t follow Suzuki, Yamaha or Ducati… so they are doing a big effort and they are starting to bring already some new parts.
Says Lorenzo move good for MotoGP
Marquez says that Jorge Lorenzo’s move to Ducati is good for MotoGP.
I think it’s important and it’s good for the championship because one of the top riders moves to another manufacturer and is always for sure a big opportunity. Also a new challenge for him and we will see but still remain one year, so it is a long time, but anyway it will be interesting for everybody, the fans the other riders, to see how Lorenzo/Ducati can do…[Jerez]
is a track where Jorge is normally pretty strong so we will see, also it is more a flowing track so for Yamaha it looks better. We did a test in November but from then to now you can imagine how many changes on the bike, so we start from zero and we will see how the tyres are working on the track on this kind of tarmac and I look forward to starting FP1 tomorrow in a good way.
Marquez denies Yamaha move
Speaking in Jerez, Marquez confirms that Ducati had made him an approach, but denied being in the running to replace Jorge Lorenzo as Rossi’s teammate.
I had a call from Ducati. Yamaha has done in the past, but not this time. Already Lin [Jarvis, team boss] said it wouldn’t be possible. I started talking with Honda [about a new contract] in Austin and I have always said they are my priority. They were the ones to give me the opportunity to join MotoGP, and there is no logic in changing.
Asked about the prospect of being paired up with Marquez, Rossi says:
It would be interesting to see Marquez at Yamaha, and he would be a very tough teammate to beat. It’s hard enough to share a box with Lorenzo. I can only say that I will do my best to beat my teammate, whoever it is.
Spain Friday Free Practice: 5th, 2nd place
Marquez is fifth in the first free practice session for the Spanish GP, 0.568 seconds behind leader, Jorge Lorenzo. The session is marred when Marquez’s bike cuts out during a practice start and forces him to return to the pits on the scooter. In the second session, Marquez, with winglets fitted, completes the circuit in 1’39.900 to set the first sub 1’40 lap. However, he ends the day 0.345s, in second place, behind leader Lorenzo. Marquez drops almost a full second off his time between sessions.
Third place on grid
Marquez takes third place on the grid at Jerez, behind Jorge Lorenzo, and Valentino Rossi, who takes pole.
I’m satisfied because before the qualifying session, we knew it would be difficult to get pole position, and the goal was to achieve a place on the front row. I think we did a great job; I rode well and I felt comfortable on the bike. Thanks to the work of the whole team, we tested three different setups that ultimately allowed me to be consistent in qualifying, which isn’t usually something I’m able to do. All I can say is that today Jorge [Lorenzo] and Valentino [Rossi] were faster than me. We’ll see if we can stay with them during the race tomorrow, because it seems that they have a very good pace.
First in Warm Up
0 0 Mark Devlin Mark Devlin2016-04-24 05:09:302016-04-24 05:09:30First in Warm UpSpanish GP: 3rd Place
0 CommentsMarquez comes third in the Spanish GP at Jerez. Valentino Rossi wins the race, some three seconds ahead of Jorge Lorenzo.
Honestly, today Valentino [Rossi] was on another level, like I was in Austin, and the most important thing is that today we accepted finishing third in the race. I learned a lot from last year and and I didn’t want to make a mistake. I was very focused from the start and I tried to ride strongly and stay with Jorge [Lorenzo], but I could tell that with the higher track temperatures – 11º C higher than yesterday – it was very difficult for me to manage the front tyre well. I almost crashed several times, so in the end I made a difficult decision in front of our fans, as we preferred to secure 16 points that will be very positive at the end of the season, which is very long. We must have patience until we take a step further with the bike’s acceleration and find something else that allows us to fight for the win.