“Winning, I don’t know, but I could have gotten on the podium”

“I have never liked to look for excuses and, much less, say that if I had not had problems, I would have been able to fight for victory & rdquor ;, Márquez commented before the microphone of Izascun Ruizfrom DAZN after receiving a standing ovation from the entire Repsol Honda team upon reaching the ‘box’ after resisting, on the last lap, the attack of the world champion, the French Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha)who tried, without success, to take away sixth place.

“Win? I don’t know, I don’t know, but I have to admit that I had rhythm to get on the podium, for sure & rdquor ;, continued explaining the one from Cervera (Lleida). “When you have to put everything together, everything comes together. We had a mechanical problem on the bike, being already at the start, a few moments before the lights went out. Honda is investigating what has happened, because I have seen a strange message on the screen of my motorcycle and, from the starting line to the first corner, the motorcycle did not increase in laps, it did not accelerate, it was not going well & rdquor ;.

As always, the pilot did not want to explain what had happened, not only because, perhaps, he still does not know what has happened, but because they never tell, never. “I only know that, after the first corner, that I have traced the last one, that is, the 24th of 24, everything has returned to its place and I have begun to be able to drive normally. And that’s when our race began, the comeback, which has been very good, with a very good pace, the one I thought I had and beating riders at a good pace”.

There were, of course, those who remembered, from then on, the ‘carrerón’, the comeback, which Marc Márquez himself carried out at the Jerez circuit where, on July 19, 2020, he was not satisfied with the podium, he suffered a fall, he broke his right humerus and began his viacrucis. And, indeed, the comeback in Austin, a circuit where he has won seven times, must have inspired the Catalan champion to finish among the best in the US GP.

“When you start last, because I traced the first corner of the circuit last, there is no possible strategy, you have to give everything from the first lap and see where you end up. And so I have done: I have given everything, everything. And, of course, with five laps to go, the body has said enough and there I had no choice but to dedicate myself to finishing the race and taking those 10 points for sixth place & rdquor ;, continued explaining the Honda leader.

Márquez’s impressive career has ended with a clear warning to his factory, to Honda, and to his technical team demanding that, as soon as possible, they solve the main problem with the new RC213V and that, although he has not specified what the problem is, everything It seems to indicate that, by making a motorcycle with more grip at the rear (imitating the Ducati ‘Desmosedici’), they have destabilized the front end, on which Márquez is riding, who, now, does not quite trust his front wheel and ask for solutions as soon as possible. For example, Portimao and Jerez, the next two appointments. And, above all, vital for the next 15 Grand Prix: the training session to be held in Jerez on the Monday after the GP. From there, Márquez must leave having solved that problem that he has just pointed out to his engineers.

Márquez acknowledges that the audacity of having reappeared in Austin, one of his three favorite circuits, has had as compensation “having gained confidence, which was one of the intentions of returning to that track & rdquor ;. And, then, the Catalan pilot explained what his intentions were when he reappeared in the United States. “It is evident and that was the intention when coming to Austin, that I have starred in a solid weekend, risking what was fair, what was necessary, when I had to, doing few fast laps and managing myself physically”.

And, in that sense, Márquez acknowledges that the most important thing was not to fall and “achieve a solid result & rdquor ;. “I repeat and, I insist, that it is not an excuse, shame about the mechanical problem on the grid, otherwise he would have been fighting, at least, for the podium. But, well, it happened, we knew how to react, we had a good race and, despite starting last, I was able to fight with Fabio (Quartararo), who is the champion, in the last laps”.