This post-qualifying press conference for the Prix de Catalunya brought together Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Johann Zarco and Brad Binder.
The questions were of course focused on sad news, but what should only have been decency and contemplation sometimes gave way to certain much less noble behaviors...
In order to avoid any abusive journalistic interpretation, we offer you here a “raw” translation of all of Marc Marquez’s words who, in this tense and turbulent context, showed a stature that we did not know of until now.
A modified circuit but you seem very good there…
“Of course, it's a difficult weekend for everyone, for the whole MotoGP family, but ok, we have to continue, we have to ride with the important changes on the track decided together with the Safety Commission. This greatly helps with security. Maybe the old route was better because it was prettier, but the important thing is that we are improving (safety).
Regarding the race, it was a good day for us because we made a big change in the settings and I think we improved. So I'm happy with that, and especially the pace was pretty good in FP4. And during qualifying, I don't know, I felt extra motivation, I attacked a lot and took a lot of risks but I wanted this pole to dedicate it on the one hand to my grandmother, and on the other hand another to Luis Salom whom we will never forget. »
Having a new sector 4 on Saturday is something new…
“Yes, it's a new thing, and, you know, it's a bit strange because all along the track you're keeping passing speed, you're trying to prepare for the exits of the long corners, and then you get there, and looks like it's a different track. But it's also interesting for riders because you have to adjust the bike for long corners but also for tight ones and hard braking. So we have a good job there. In the morning it was difficult to find the lines but usually I'm pretty good and feel confident when something is new, and I found the lines in one go and felt really good in that part. »
Since you were the only one at the (Safety Commission) meeting, why was it decided to change turn 10 as well?
“In the end, one thing is clear here. We have the Safety Commission every Friday at the same place at 17:30 p.m., and yesterday we were the same drivers as usual. Normally we are always around 9 or 10 drivers, not all the drivers, and I think if we have the opportunity to go there to try to improve the safety of the track, every driver should go there. Ok, on some tracks we don't talk much and in 15 minutes the Safety Commission is over. But on certain tracks, it is important and we are here to try to give our point of view. Thanks to Dorna for giving us the opportunity to give our opinion on safety.
Yesterday we were the same drivers, and first we thought about canceling the race, because we thought it would be a difficult moment, then because of the family and everything else, Carmelo called the family and they agreed to continue the GP. And I also think that if Salom were here, he would like to race. So after that, we first thought about modifying this corner and the solution was difficult because we also modified, we repainted some parts of the track to try to gain more space; I'm talking about turns 12 and 13.
Then, after that, as we had already tried two years ago at turn 9…”
10 ...
“9 or 10, you know the turn we changed. We already tried two years ago. And everyone agreed that security was better. But it was worse for the layout, and I agree that the old corner is fun to drive. But in the end, every rider who shoots straight here, especially in Moto2 and MotoGP, comes right up to the wall or very close to the wall. Last year I went way out there and I tilted the bike in the gravel and people asked said "but why were you nervous and tilted the bike in the gravel?" » I tilted the bike into the gravel because the wall was already there (sign of his hand in front of his eyes). So to try to stop me.
So if nothing happens, we don't need to change anything? It's best to modify before an accident.
We did it for that reason, and everyone who was there agreed. »
When Jorge said that the Safety Commission hadn't met at Dorna as usual, you shook your head. For what?
“Between 17:30 p.m. and 18:15 p.m., we were in the Dorna office. Like always. Then we went to this bend to get a good idea, because it's one thing on one plane, and another on site. »
How do you feel about the last chicane and why is your speed at the end of the straight greater even though you start slower?
“It’s a change we made to continue into the weekend, because otherwise it wouldn’t have made sense. The safety is better, the route is of course different, it's a little bumpier, but for me, as I said, it's interesting. You have different kinds of corners and you have to find the compromise for the settings. But of course, for me turn #13 is not yet safe enough. We painted the lines and all that; it is now safe, but not safe enough and we must work on it for the future. »
There were different tracks approved for F1 here. On other circuits, do you feel that the race would have been canceled?
" Yes of course; yesterday all the pilots agreed that, if we didn't have any modifications to this turn, we would cancel, because already in the past, some pilots arrived (up to the wall), so we had put Airfences everywhere. You can't imagine that the bike will be there and you'll hit it, but it's a possibility, as we saw yesterday. Yes, all the drivers agreed that if nothing changed in this corner, we would cancel the race. We were “lucky” on this point that there was another route. »
Honestly, would you have canceled the GP?
“As I said, yesterday at the Commission, it was a possibility, the first option, then Carmelo, with us, called Luis's team manager. He also called his manager and his family, and sure enough, they were devastated. But they told us that if Salom were alive, he would like to run. So I think it was obviously a difficult decision but I think it was the right one, although you never know. Both options were good. »
This morning we had a conference with Carmelo and Franco where we were told that no one had complained about turn #12 in the past. Before, we had heard Valentino say that on many occasions we had complained about turn 12 which was dangerous, like after Antonelli's crash two years ago. Obviously someone is lying here. Are you the pilots or Carmelo and Franco? Where is the truth?
“Rant” by Johann Zarco…
Marc Marquez speaks again: “No one lies. Nobody is lying, because we have talked about this shift in the past, but everyone agreed that we put the Airfences which work very well. We put it all over the corner and the drivers agreed “ok, it's a good solution since it's not possible to have more clearance”. We thought it would be enough with the Airfences, but we saw yesterday... Nobody expected that, it was very difficult to imagine that it would happen, with the bike in front (the rider). »
Can you explain to us the design of your helmet for Catalunya?
“Yes, I was thinking of using it this morning but I chose not to because of Luis. Then I put the sticker on and thought the new helmet with the sticker would be good.
Design? Here there is the Fan Club, all the 93 flags, here it represents my box, with a few words like "gas" and the Repsol colors, and it all leads to a switch for "Keep Power". »
What is the cause of your downfall today?
“It was completely my fault. I went out on track with new tires and said to myself 'this is the time'. I had to wait several turns to warm up the tires. I came to the second corner and leaned the bike too aggressively with the new tire, and lost the front end. It's not due to Michelin or my team, it's my fault. »
Photo credit : MotoGP.com
