As usual, we offer you a translation of the full responses of the first three drivers during the post-GP press conference.
Writing a few introductory lines at this point would already direct the information in this or that direction; not doing so allows you to form your own opinion.
Good reading.
Marc, you stayed with them for a while, but you had a few heats and decided to keep the 16 points…
“Yes, today I tried from the start, I got off to a good start then Dani overtook me. But I ironed it quickly. Then I tried to follow Jorge; maybe I could pass it for a few laps, but I was already starting to feel that my front tire was weak. So I preferred to wait a little, but I saw that with 22 or 25°, the temperature did not suit my riding style and I was losing a lot, especially in braking because I couldn't brake the bike. . When I was behind Jorge, he started to gain a few meters and I was losing a few meters with each acceleration. I tried to come back with every braking but I was overheating the front tire more and more, so I said to myself "ok", and I made a difficult decision in front of our fans, "16 points is enough for us, that's it." is our position.” It's a shame to finish 2 tenths from second position, or 7 seconds from the lead, but in the end we tried to do our best, we bring back 16 points, and we are looking forward to tomorrow's tests because we have to improve various areas. »
Last year, would you have made a different decision, attacking more?
(laughs) Of course, maybe last year it would have been different, but I learned a lot this winter, and before the race Nakamoto said to me “please finish the race” (laughs). And with Emilio (Alzamora) and Santi (Mulero), we said to ourselves “ok, we know that Jerez is not one of the best tracks for my driving style”. We know that we are not at 100% our level with the bike, and when I saw that Valentino had an incredible level, and that Lorenzo was a little faster than us, I said to myself "take it 16 points and be calm while waiting for the next races.”
You made some mistakes while braking; did you brake like with the Bridgestones?
“As I said before, I was trying to brake hard because we are still losing a bit of acceleration and I was trying to compensate for this disadvantage during braking. During the weekend I was able to drive like this because the temperatures were much lower. But with higher temperatures, riding like this made the front tire weaker. At first I wasn't able to brake hard, so I said to myself "ok, I'll try one lap, then another" to brake in the same places as in the free practice sessions, but I saw that the front was locking up, moving a lot and that I was failing to brake. I was losing time but I saw that it was not possible otherwise and, for this reason, I slowed down a little and kept this third place. »
You wore a sticker in solidarity with the Japanese people…
“Yes, of course, I am concerned by what is happening in Japan and that is why we put stickers on the bike and a flag on the podium. Also because one of the Honda factories suffered some damage. Anyway, I think everyone is in solidarity with Japan. not just with Japan, but also about the situation in the world. I think that with sport, we try to help all these people. »
Do you think your fins contributed to overheating the front tire?
“That’s an interesting question. Maybe tomorrow, if we have the same temperatures, we'll try, but during testing it was better for acceleration, a little better, we gained a little where we lost the most. But we still have to study, if it is better and if it provides a real advantage. The positive point is that during testing, with the low temperatures, I was very solid and on the same level as the two Yamaha riders. Today the situation was like that, but we were smart and understood that something was wrong; Maybe it was me, maybe it was the bike, maybe the whole thing, but we didn't find the best sensations with these temperatures. We figured it out and finished third… OK, not the best place, but those 16 points are what we expected. This was our main goal before this race. »
You are cautious in view of the championship, but inside, didn't you want to win, like two years ago?
Yes, of course, it's a big conflict in my head. But do not worry; the same Marc will come, but I have to feel comfortable on the bike. And I must feel strong enough. At the moment I feel strong, but I don't feel like in 2014, when I did what I wanted with the bike, and when I played with it. So at the moment, I don't feel that way. The positive thing is that we have a slight advantage (in the championship) and we are trying to manage. We must remain calm until we feel at this level. Maybe right now he's not the best Marc for the show and the fans, but I don't want to find myself in the same situation as last year. So we have to understand that and continue in this way.”
