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Category: Superbikes
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It was a spectacular Sunday the one witnessed by Team Gresini MotoGP at Austin, especially with Marc Marquez. Together with Acosta and Martin, he starred in one of the most exciting Grand Prix of the season – and beyond. Not all movies have a happy ending, however, and surely not this one: after ten laps, while leading the race, the #93 crashed under braking, losing the lead and the (virtual) second place in the standings. It was still an incredible performance for the Spaniard at his favourite track, as he secured a front-row start before finishing on the podium in the sprint race, with a big regret on the full distance.
The bad luck does not end here, however, as Alex Marquez was forced to an early retirement following a crash moments before his brother’s tumble. The #73 showed great speed at CoTA and rode well up to eighth place. But that was one of those days for him, too. The MotoGP action will resume in Europe with the hope that the local venue will bring something better.
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DNF – MARC MARQUEZ #93
“I’m satisfied because we were among the protagonists, we were fast and gave it all. Unfortunately we had a front-end problem under braking, I wasn’t comfortable and I struggled. The crash came because of that and there was nothing I could do. We’re working well and I’m sure we’ll fix this issue as we did for the others that came up before, and we’ll try again in Jerez.”
DNF – ALEX MARQUEZ #73
“We started well and avoid any drama at turn one. I was managing the rear tyre well, as planned, but then I made a small mistake at turn one. We’re back riding as we know and we’re leaving Austin with a positive feeling: with a good qualifying, we would be talking on completely different terms today.”
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Another podium under the belt for Team Gresini MotoGP, who scored a second-place finish in Texas courtesy of an excellent Marc Márquez. Just like in Portimão three weekends ago, another rostrum finish in the sprint race, behind an uncatchable Viñales. For the second time this year, the first Ducati at the finish line is the #93, light-blue liveried one.
It was a day to forget for Alex Márquez. The #73 only shone in Q1 as he managed to make into the final qualifying session, but then he was forced to a defensive sprint race in a battle for the last top14. The 20-lap race awaits the two standard bearers of Team Gresini MotoGP, with Marc Márquez who will line up on the third spot of the grid.
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2nd - MARC MARQUEZ #93
“This is a podium that means a lot, especially as it wasn’t an easy one. The first race was very challenging: I wasn’t feeling comfortable on the bike, and it was difficult. I made a couple of important mistakes, but then I was able to keep Acosta and Martin behind and I also found a good rhythm – and from there I improved. I was feeling a lot better in the second part of the race and now we need to keep working in order to be competitive also tomorrow. I would sign for a third place, as there are so many fast riders.”
14th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73
“A coming together with another rider at turn two has made things even more complicated, after a Q2 that already wasn’t very fortunate. It was hard to turn things around from there. Now heads down and work hard, we have a long race tomorrow and we have the pace to play our part.”
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#PortugueseGP race. The ingredients for a good Sunday were all there, especially after a good start from both standard bearers of Team Gresini MotoGP. From 8th and 12th on the grid, respectively, Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez were able to immediately make up some positions in the very beginning before the first hurdle of the day came.
The #73 crashed – uninjured - out of the encounter at turn five with very little time spent on track, a tumble that took away any hope for points to the Spaniard, in a weekend that was already made quite complicated due to an unfortunate result in Q2. Marc’s race outcome was all in all very similar, but the dynamic was completely different…
With four laps left, the #93 makes an overtaking manoeuvre on Bagnaia, but the counter-attack of the Italian at the following corner results in a coming together that send both riders on the ground. The #93 was able to jump back on the bike and finish 16th as he crossed the line with a bitter taste in his mouth. A fourth place would have translated in the second position in the standings…
16th - MARC MARQUEZ #93
“A racing incident that none of us would have wanted. We go home with no points, but after a positive weekend in which we found continuity and speed. The stewards have decided that the incident deserves no sanction and we accept the decision. Pecco tried to defend his position, maybe with a little bit of optimism. The result still is the one nobody would have wished.”
RET. ALEX MARQUEZ #73
“Shame, because we had a good start. I pushed a lot as today’s MotoGP forces you to do a little bit more in the early laps. I gave my all and unfortunately, I ended up crashing. I got back on track simply because had it rained, everything would have changed, but after a few laps I decided to pull out of the race. A Sunday to forget, but we’ll try again at Austin.”
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#PortugueseGP Sprint Race. We like to play with the movie theme, and today’s movie was one that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end. It is only a sprint race, but it is also the best-ever result so far for Marc Marquez in this special Saturday format. A second place with big significance, especially as it came from a perfect start from row three. The fourth place in the championship standings is consolidated and the gap to Bagnaia at the top is only 10 points.
For Alex Marquez, this was a Saturday to forget with an unfortunate Q2 and a Sprint Race with no glory, which he still finished in 13th place. Better to reset and think about the Sunday, full-distance race, with the top ten being the goal in order to gain fresh confidence on his Ducati #73.
2nd - MARC MARQUEZ #93
“The day didn’t start the best way with a mistake in Q2. Then we had a great start and it was a good race. To be back overtaking and having the speed is surely a good feeling. I battled with the best and despite a few mistakes I can say it was a ‘different movie’ compared to the past. Let’s keep working and think about the warm up because there’s still a very important race to tackle.”
13th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73
“It wasn’t our best Saturday. We made it through Q2 with ease but then everything went the wrong way. A human mistake did not allow us to get a good start and it was all uphill since then. I didn’t start well and the Sprint Race is hard without a good start. We’ll try to turn the tide tomorrow: the full race can help us and the goal is to score as many points as we can.”
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The first European outing for the 2024 MotoGP season saw Marc Marquez’s star shining bright. With far-from-ideal track conditions, the #93, for the first time aboard the Desmosedici machine around the Portimão track, was able to top the timesheets in the morning free practice before securing the direct seed for Q2 with the third-quickest time in the final session of the day. Ahead of him only Bastianini and Miller.
1’38.210 was today’s best lap for the eight-time world champion, still far from the outright lap record of 1’37.2 he set last year on a Honda. He also had the first crash of the season, a simple low side without consequences.
Alex Marquez also had a tumble, which “only” affect his overall performance for today. The #73 finished half a second away from his brother, but the forced return to the pits in the decisive minutes of the afternoon practice resulted in a 12th place finish – and a mandatory participation to Q1.
3rd - MARC MARQUEZ (1’38.210s)
“It was a positive day, despite the crash. It’s all part of the learning curve and we’re doing well. We know where we’re losing time, and we know why. T4 has never been by strongest part of the track, I have never managed to get the last two right-handers the perfect way. The crash happened because of the heavy traffic on track and the Ducati is harder to manage in someone else’s slipstream. Still, it was my mistake, but it’s good anyway: it was a matter of time before my first crash and everything helps.”
12th - ALEX MARQUEZ (1’38.809s)
“The crashed ruined our plans a little and once I got back to the track, I wasn’t feeling fully comfortable with the soft tyre, and I still was doing a not-so-bad lap. Then I found some traffic, with Mir following Pecco. I managed to overtake him, but still lost some time. Q1 is always a big price to pay, but we did everything to be competitive. Right now, we only need to focus on Q1, then we’ll turn our heads on the sprint race and the full-distance Sunday encounter – qualifying is now key.”
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