At the end of a breathtaking Australian Grand Prix that he finished as winner, Marc Marquez was invited to the press conference also bringing together Valentino Rossi (see here) and Maverick Vinales.
Obviously very happy, the Catalan champion happily took part in the question-and-answer game with the journalists.
As usual, we report here a translation of the words spoken, in full and without any journalistic distortion.
Marc Marquez: “Honestly, it was an extraordinary race. From the start I took the start and I was calm, trying to warm the tires well and trying to be calm, suddenly I don't know if it was the second or third lap, already a first contact, from Johann I believe, this time. I started to realize that "OK, we'll see during the race but it's going to be hard." It was a big group like in Moto3 races and I really enjoyed it, but I started to realize around the halfway point that I had to attack, or they were going to overtake me everywhere. So it was a bit dangerous at times but ultimately I pushed a lot, especially after checking around halfway through where Dovizioso was and how the race was going, and trying to analyze everything. And when there were eight laps left, I said to myself “OK, it’s time to attack and try to create a small gap”. And yes, I was able to be two or three tenths faster, and create a small gap which made my life a little easier during the last two laps. »
The fight was heated and you bear the marks on your leather and your motorcycle…
“(laughs) yes, yes, yes. I mean my leather and my bike got hit, but I was also aggressive. So they were aggressive towards me but I also played with the same cards. It's the race. It was really great. Of course it was dangerous and I tried to be careful because a fall, or zero points, would have been a disaster, but OK, it was time to attack. Before the race, I knew it was an important race to increase the gap, and honestly, yes, I'm happy with the victory, but being 33 points ahead makes me smile more. »
Did you have the information on where Dovizioso was on your dashboard?
" No no. I did not know. Before the race we had a meeting and the technicians asked me if I wanted to know where Dovi was. But I said " No ! I don't care and I just want to race.". And about halfway through the race I got this question mark “where is Dovi?” ». And I looked back, trying to control him, and then it was good because when I was coming out of turn four, he was in turn three, and I tried to control him like that. And when I saw that I controlled him, and that I more or less controlled the group, it was the moment to attack. »
33 points ahead before arriving at Sepang is much more comfortable than when you arrived in Australia…
" Yes yes. I have already said, the victory was important because it was a race more or less like in 2015, with a lot of overtaking. But I'm happier because of this 33-point advantage. It's a big gap but now it's time to breathe, understand what our options are, where we can fight, in Malaysia or Valencia, try to score points but without being too aggressive. I took a lot of risks throughout the season, but now it's time to be more patient. »
After a race like that, how do you feel about staying five more years with Michelin tires?
“For me it is important to have stability, and yes, of course, the race was good. Of course, at first, having the Michelins was difficult for all riders and manufacturers, but now the bikes and riding styles are adapting to the Michelin tires, and they have also found good stability with the front tires and the rear tires. So now I am very happy with this news. »
After this victory, how will your mentality evolve between now and Malaysia?
“As I said before, and even today, I took a lot of risks at several points in the race but now we have to savor this victory. From tomorrow, we will start thinking about Malaysia. With this gap, which is large but not sufficient, you have to be patient, a bit like in 2016. We now have to be patient because I took a lot of risks during the season, during the tests, during the free practices, but our approach must now be a little different and less aggressive. We know Malaysia was a difficult circuit in pre-season but now we have a completely different bike, so we'll see there. But we will try to give our best during practice, then during the race we will try to control ourselves a little. »
The race was slower than last year. Was it to preserve the tires?
“On this circuit, tire life is very important, and you can't do every lap at maximum. And honestly, I went into the race and used more or less the same strategy as in 2015: try to stay calm during the race and try to attack towards the end. That was my job and my goal, and in the end, it worked out well. »
You mentioned the level of aggression which was increasing. Do you think there should be a limit?
“For me, of course there has to be a limit but I think today was normal. I mean it was aggressive, there was some contact, but in the end it's the race. And if we lower the limit, it becomes like F1. Ultimately, this is why MotoGP is progressing. »
With a 33-point lead, can you take a breath?
“Boo… a little, but not much. I mean, now is the time to breathe, but to be calm. Because with 33 points, and as I feel very good on the bike, you have extra confidence, and this is not the time to do something stupid. So it's time to appreciate today, but from tomorrow, I'm going to try to talk with my team and with my people to try to plan well, to organize these last two races well. »
You had contact with Vale during the race. How did it go ?
“Yes, I didn't see it on TV, but in turn two I was overtaking a lot of drivers because I had prepared the entry to the corner very well. And honestly, I thought I would have been in front of Vale by now, but suddenly I felt my bike stand up on its own, and for a moment I thought I was going to fall on the other side. But OK, I closed the throttle and luckily I stayed on the bike. »
Photo credit : MotoGP.com
