Need set-up improvement for Qatar
Marquez says that despite his difficult test season, he is confident going into Qatar.
The season is finally about to start, and I’m looking forward to it. When we came here two weeks ago we did a big step forward with the set-up at the very end of the test, and I really felt at ease with the bike, especially in my last run that was quite late in the evening with the dew already starting to form. That’s positive in view of the race, even if we’re not yet where we’d like to be and still have a margin for improvement with the set-up. The Losail layout may not be the most favourable of the season for our bike, but in the past we’ve scored a podium and a win here with the RC213V, so we’ll fight to get the best result on Sunday. This year there are a few variables that aren’t yet completely predictable, such as tyre wear at race distance, for example, and the bike’s behaviour with the new electronics. Still, Honda never cease to work hard, as is the case for me and the whole team, so I’m positive and look forward to the action starting.
Says incorrect setup could cost points
Marquez says that the progres of Ducati and Suzuki will have an effect on the upcoming season.
Last year, two years ago, when maybe on Sunday you didn’t feel well, you didn’t have the correct set-up, you finished fourth or fifth. This year it will be different. This year, you must be ready because if not you could finish eighth, ninth, 10th, because you have many riders. We anyway have Ducati riders, Suzuki riders that did a big step and it will be really nice, I think, especially the first race.
Rossi: ‘Tricked, betrayed’ by Marquez
In an interview with Gazzetta World, Rossi talks more about hsi relationship with Marquez.
After what happened we can no longer have a relationship. However, we must be opponents on the track, for some years I hope, and we have to respect each other. That is important…More than anything I allowed myself to be tricked by Marquez. He really betrayed me. He said he was a fan but those were all lies. I almost believed him and I was ready to have a rivalry with him, giving 100 percent on the track, but those were all lies on his end. At Assen I realised he was only my friend when he beats me.
Referencing an act of on-track revenge by Ayrton Senna in F1:
When Senna raced I didn’t like him. I cheered for Nigel Mansell, and when he joined Ferrari, I cheered for Prost. But I really liked what Senna did at Suzuka in 1990 [when Senna deliberately took both himself and title rival Prost out at Turn 1]. He was ‘worked over’ the year before and then he did what he had to. He showed some balls.
Rossi: I was ‘screwed’ by Marquez
In an interview with Motosprint, Rossi says he had no choice but to speak out against Marquez after Sepang 2015.
I have thought long and hard on what had happened. I also thought that perhaps it would have been better not to do it, but I had to, because I had realised that I was screwed. It would have been already difficult to beat Lorenzo in a normal situation, but when Marquez went against me, I realised I got screwed. With that press conference, more than trying to intimidate Marquez, I tried to call for the attention of race direction, in order to sort out this thing. We had tried to talk to race direction, but they didn’t listen to us, so I tried this other way. I think they underestimated the problem, because what happened is something no one had expected: I didn’t, and neither did they, so when we told them, they looked at us wondering ‘what’s behind this?’ It could have been avoided by talking together in Malaysia.
While he expects to maintain a working relationship with Lorenzo, Rossi still wonders about Marquez’s tactics.
It was completely clear what his intentions were, with the Valencia race [when Marquez finished second to Lorenzo] being the cherry on top. Anyway… it is not very important, in the sense that our relationship, after what had happened, can never be restored. We’ll have to be only rivals, but I would like us to be able to focus on that, more than on nonsense such as ‘let’s shake hands, let’s not. I prefer doing real things, that’s the way.
Redbull interview
Marquez talks about his preparation for the 2016 season with Redbull.com.
I try to give 100 percent in every season, but this season comes with bigger challenges, especially because we didn’t nail the championship in 2015. I have to work harder…At the tests in Malaysia and Australia [in February] I focused on my physical condition and tried to adjust and understand the new bike’s electronics, and find the balance in the set-up of the bike…I know this season will be difficult, but of course the first race is very exciting. It’s always different, and here in Qatar, it’s very special…I’d say Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa are my main opponents this year, but you never know who else could surprise you.
His favorite quote:
No pain, no gain!
Qatar test Day 3: Fourth place
On the third and final day of Qatar testing Marquez falls at the final corner, but is not injured and returns to the test after a short delay. He then Marquez performs a 14 lap run with a solid pace in the mid to low 1’56s with four 1’55 laps. On his 52nd and final lap of the day he achieves 1’55.402, coming fourth overall and 0.592s behind Jorge Lorenzo’s best time.
Honestly, I’m very happy today, because we have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. I went back to having a good feeling on the bike, and even though I crashed I know why it happened. We have improved a lot and I want to thank my team for the great work they have done, because they are working very hard; yesterday they finished at 3am, and they were back here at the circuit for 10am today…Yesterday I was worried about our level, because I had no pace or confidence, and today we have taken a big step forward, so I’m happy with the final result of the last preseason test. We have found out a lot of things that have allowed me to ride at a fairly good level.
Qatar test Day 2: Ninth place
Marquez comes ninth in the second day of Qatar training. On his first run, he improves on the previous day’s time by nearly half a second before crashing without consequences at Turn 1. He re-joins the action and tries various chassis settings on his RC213V. With approximately one hour remaining, he tires a new aerodynamic solution, using a new fairing with winglets. He runs 42 laps with a quickest time of 1’56.046 (Lap 4), 0.610s off the pace of Maverick Viñales.
We have improved the feeling when cornering – the bike turns in a little more – and that has allowed us to lower our times slightly, but we still have some problems exiting corners. The pace we have is good although we are still finding it difficult to get rear grip…In the last run we tested some small winglets and we will have to analyse them well, because we only used them for one four-lap stint, so there will be further research and development. It is only the first prototype.
Qatar test Day 1: 10th place
After coming tenth in testing at in Qatar, Marquez says he lost confidence as he struggled to adapt to the Losail circuit’s characteristics.
I already said in Phillip Island that here was really good but now we go to Qatar, a track that we are normally struggling. Definitely we struggle, today quite a lot. We are trying to work on some aspects of the bike to improve. The positive thing is that still two days remain. Also, we are in the circuit where we struggled most during the season. We must look forward and try to improve these areas. The main problem is mid-corner turning and exit…in Malaysia we were struggling with the electronics but there you can use our potential that is the braking point. You can brake late. Here you can’t because all the corners are quite big and you must float on the bike on the track. We are trying to improve this area.
The Sum of Talents video
Repsol releases a video where Márquez and Pedrosa appear with Malikian.
The sum of talents makes us greater.
Health check video
0 0 Mark Devlin Mark Devlin2016-03-08 09:52:522016-03-08 09:52:52Health check video
Birthday video
0 0 Mark Devlin Mark Devlin2016-03-08 10:23:002016-03-08 10:23:00Birthday video
Marquez brothers cancel VR46 merchandise deal
The company in charge of image rights for Marc and Alex Marquez confirms their merchandise will no longer be produced and distributed by Rossi’s VR46 Racing Apparel company. The Marquez brothers are tipped to move their merchandising to Gruppo Pritelli.
AC Management, company in charge of managing the image rights of the riders Marc Márquez and Alex Márquez, informs that they have agreed with the Company VR46 Racing Apparel, S.r.l. to terminate the license agreements previously in force and under which the latter was in charge of the exploitation of both riders’ merchandising. Both parties appreciate services rendered while the agreement was in force and wish each other success in future endeavors.
Rossi/Marquez clash data will not be released
FIM and Honda Racing say that data from the Rossi/Marquez clash at Sepang will not be released. The data relates to claims by Honda that Rossi kicked Marquez, causing the Spaniard to fall. FIM President Ippolito:
In MotoGP, the dispute was brought before the CAS and the case is now closed. It is true that at the end of the season the polemics around the Rossi-Marquez case swelled to unprecedented levels. For that reason, we asked all the people involved, including the teams, to refrain from engaging in controversy about what happened in Sepang.During the last competition in Valencia, team Honda informed us that they had all the telemetry relating to the incident. Now the data are in our hands, and Honda and the FIM have decided together not to release them so as not to fuel further polemics.
Marquez hopes Rossi situation will imporve
In an interview with CNN, Marquez, who is hosting a training camp for 20 young riders, says he understands Rossi’s situation:
The relationship with Valentino was really good until Thursday (before) Malaysia. I think there he created so much more of what was not natural, not good for motorcycling…The problem is that too many people start to speak about the situation. (When we arrived) in Valencia, I say ‘Please we need to win the race because if not … he will complain.’ Lorenzo did the fastest lap, the record of the circuit, the record of the total laps … I couldn’t pass him, I couldn’t win; but you know for me the target was to win the race and that was the best way to finish the season.
I already said in Valencia to Valentino, ‘My hand is here,’ and I want the best for motorcycling, and I think the best thing is to be in a good relationship with him. [But] at that moment (in Valencia) he had just lost the championship, and he was really worn. I understand the situation, so I don’t want to think a lot about what he said, but I hope that 2016 will be a new season, a new relationship and (we) try to forget all these things.
Crashes twice in testing
On the third and final day of testing at Jerez, Spain, Marquez, crashes twice.
Today I had two crashes. One big high-side, something in Turn 3, on Doohan corner, I go in with some gas, and never happen in MotoGP, but maybe we have to understand well this new electronics. I was with gas consistent, but in one moment I lose really aggressive the rear wheel, and then I fly! But lucky I was well. The second one was we did the comparison with both engines and everything, and Honda asked for us to be on the limit to try to compare well, and the limit on the brake point with the Michelin is dangerous. So we did a good three days, we got a lot of information, but I think that at the moment, this new engine, it has a little bit more potential compared to the old one, but still we are far I think from the best level.
On what needs to be done over the winter:
I think Michelin will work on the front tire especially, Honda must work on the mechanical side, to try to be smoother, to try to gain on the acceleration, and by electronics, we have this so we have to understand it well. But the electronics is the thing that if you don’t ride, you don’t understand, so we must work on the mechanical side, and the Michelin, sure, they will improve.
Searching for ‘correct engine balance’
Marquez ends the fourth day for Winter testing saying he still has to find the correct balance for Honda’s 2016 engine.
Today I ride all day with the Magneti Marelli. I didn’t try again the Honda software, I just concentrated on Magneti Marelli. I tried both engines, but I really concentrated all day with the new engine. Because I think, already, working on the new electronics is slow, takes a lot of time, and I see that with the 2015 engine, and the 2016 engine, we need a completely different map…It’s different. Last year’s engine was aggressive in the top. Now we have more power in the bottom, but still we don’t understand the way to deliver this torque. It looks like aggressive in the bottom, but then smoother in the top compared with last year, but the thing is that we can reduce, no? So we must work, because if we reduce too much, then we get aggressive in the top, so we must check to find the correct balance.
He also comments of the MIchelin front tires:
[I had] A lot [of near crashes] In the moment that you find the limit. Today it was a little bit better, because we worked with the set up, so it was better, but still a few crashes again today.
Suppo: Marquez crazy not to beat Jorge
Repsol Honda team principal, Livio Suppo, comments on how Marquez should deal with the situation.
Go on holiday and relax. I think there’s nothing really we can add, especially Marc. If people believe him we are happy, if they don’t I think ‘time is a gentleman’ [an Italian phrase that can mean ‘time is a healer’ or ‘the truth will come out’]. I’m just so sad for what happened on Sunday [at Valencia] because I know that Marc really wanted to win this race. And when I saw him in parc ferme, I’ve never seen him so disappointed. Because he is a clever guy – you must be stupid to do deliberately what happened on Sunday…If you think seriously, with no pressure, you understand that it is crazy for Marc not trying to beat Jorge. Even if Marc finished in front of Jorge with Dani in third, Jorge was still world champion with the same points [as Rossi]. That would probably be even better, because this championship was deserved by both of them [Rossi and Lorenzo] and it would then have been decided only by different race wins.
He also says he has a lot of respect for Rossi.
I met Valentino coming back from Indy I think, in the lounge at the airport, and I said honestly I have more respect now than I have 10 years ago. Because what he’s done this season – it doesn’t matter if he won the championship or not – has been unbelievable; 36 years old, coming from the 500 and still able to fight with the young guns that are riding in a totally different way. And this year to beat almost all of them and lose the championship by only five points has been really unbelievable. Of course we cannot be happy with the situation that has been created by the words of Valentino, starting from the Sepang press conference. I really hope Valentino will understand that Honda and Marc are not against him. We just try to do our championship and if he thinks differently I’m very sorry, but it’s not like that.
Rossi drops Marquez merchandize
According to Italian website, Corriere della Sera, Rossi has decided to end his business ties with Marquez. Beginning next year, the VR46 Store, will no longer manage Marquez’s MM93 merchandise. The Tavullian company owned by Rossi manages the merchandise of 20 riders and hails an annual turnover of 12.5 million euros. Next year, another company will be dealing with the sale of t-shirts, caps and other novelty MM93 products.
Doesn’t enjoy electronics
Marquez says he is not happy with the new ECU unit.
We play with many things, work a lot and the problem with the electronics is that you make five laps and then you stay half an hour or one hour in the box trying to fix. We need time to try and understand it well. At the moment I’m not enjoying it a lot. The thing is my bike didn’t spin. It’s just moving and cutting and I think we are far from the potential of these electronics. At the moment I still didn’t understand well. I’m riding fast and pushing but I want to understand it better for the slides and all these things
Ends Valencia test on top
1 CommentsDespite crashing twice over the two days of testing the 2016 Honda RC213V in Valencia, Marquez finishes first with a time of 1:31.367. The testing marks the official start of the 2016 season and includes technical changes such as a Spec ECU that all teams must use; Michelin taking over as the sole tyre supplier; a fuel limit of 22 litres for all and the use of seven engines for the year, plus the bikes now have to weigh a maximum of 157kg compared to 158kg in 2015. Wheel diameter has also been increased by half an inch to 17” by Michelin, to bring them more inline with road bikes.