Marc Marquez having reached the third step of the podium, he participated in the official post-GP press conference, along with Cal Crutchlow, the winner, and Valentino Rossi, second in the Grand Prix.
As usual, in order to avoid any abusive journalistic interpretation, we offer here a “raw” translation of the entirety of the words of the Honda driver who managed to get on the podium despite having chosen soft tires…
A solid result after a not very easy race…
“Yes, today we didn't use the best strategy, the best choice of tires, but ok, it was completely my decision because, honestly, I was expecting a Flag to Flag race because here, in time normal, the track dries very quickly. But it stayed wet and it was impossible to put the slicks on, and when I realized, in the race when there were 10 laps remaining, that the whole race would be in the wet, I said to myself 'ok, I have to manage the tires ' and I always try to ride on the wet parts. When Crutchlow and Valentino overtook me, I saw the border on their tire and they were on Hard tires. I said to myself “ok, forget it”. Their grip was much better and I forgot about these two riders, just focused on the two Ducatis of Iannone and Barbera to try to control them, and there were only 4 laps left, attacking for the podium. And that was enough. So today, after the tire choice, it's a good result because it's 16 points and we gain a lot of points on Lorenzo and we only lose 4 on Valentino. And for me, the most important thing is that I feel strong in the dry, I feel strong in the wet, in mixed conditions, and that, for the championship, is very important. »
Is the Honda more competitive in the wet than in the dry?
“For me the main reason, as I already said at Sachsenring, is that in the dry the acceleration is much greater. And that's our weak point this year. In the wet, the limit to acceleration is rear wheel spin, not the engine or wheelie. For this reason we are more competitive, because honestly, in the dry and in the corners we are really strong. I was able to see it during this race for example; in T2 I was very strong because there is no acceleration. The main difference is this and this is the main reason. »
Your reaction to Cal's victory?
“Yes, I agree with Valentino so I spent a few afternoons with Cal talking about the bike (laughs), and yes, I am happy for him and Lucie, and now his family, and yes, it he's a funny boy so... congratulations! (there, Marquez gives a kiss to Crutchlow who thanks him)(Laughs).
Did you ever think the race would be Flag to Flag?
“Yes, that's what I said, I chose soft tires because I was expecting a Flag to Flag race but that ended up not being the case. But there were still some chances to pass the slicks in the last 3 or 4 laps. It wasn't like that and we managed well. I also chose the soft tires because we hadn't tried the hard at the front and I prefer more movement than big blockages and big falls. We played our cards, and in the end I think it was not the best option but a good race. »
Did you have fun today or did you suffer like in Assen?
“Honestly, I struggled a lot more in Assen. This year we only rode in the wet on Sunday so we had to adjust the settings. I struggled a lot in Assen and I didn't enjoy the race. In Germany a little better, but I struggled too. And here, I took more direction from the other Hondas because I am slightly different in terms of settings. I went more in this direction in the wet and it worked from the warm up. I felt pretty good, but I was just worried about the tires. I would have enjoyed this race more if I had been in Cal's place (smiles) but ok, I enjoyed it. »
Valentino says 53 points is too much to make up for...
“You can lose these points in two races, as we saw in Austria. We'll see how we can handle the situation, but for me, the most important thing is that I feel strong in every situation; in dry, wet, mixed conditions. This is the most important thing for me. On this circuit, also in the dry, while it is difficult for my driving style, we were strong, so we will see. But of course anything can happen in competition and 53 points is a good advantage but not enough. »
Do you have an explanation why Dani Pedrosa is not as strong as you in the rain?
» Dani, normally in the wet, for example in Assen or in Germany, he was in front of me when the first race stopped in Assen. Then he fell but normally he is fast. It's sure that here he had problems during the race, but you know, I know Dani, I've seen it many times, he has great talent and maybe he's not in his best period, but he will come back. He tries to find the solution and each time I find that he is closer. »
