The post-qualifying press conference for the Spanish Grand Prix brought together Fabio Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli, Marc Marquez, Jorge Navarro and Lorenzo Dalla Porta.
As usual, we report here the raw words of Marc Marquez, without the slightest journalistic interpretation.
Marc, it's quite rare that you are the oldest driver at a press conference (laughs). You are on the front row, which is very important for the race tomorrow. Are you satisfied ?
Marc Márquez : “yes, overall, I am happy with this day because we particularly worked on the race pace during FP4. We have been very consistent with the racing tire. Today, in particular, I was a little worried about qualifying because when it's cloudy, this track is easier to be fast. Tomorrow is forecast to be hotter and everything will be more difficult, but I knew that some drivers on soft tires could be very fast, and that's why I tried to use 3 tires. But yes, with the last one, the front tire was already too worn. But apart from that, I'm happy because we achieved our goal of being on the first row because it's difficult to overtake here. To be honest, I didn't expect these 2 drivers to be in front of me, but they did incredible times: 36.8, it's really very fast and I'm going to concentrate for tomorrow.
Who do you think will be able to fight for victory tomorrow?
“First of all, Dovi has very good rhythm, so he will be there. He has a lot of experience and he can handle different situations. Then, of course, Fabio and Franco. If they're on the front line, they'll be there, and they'll be fast. But in Jerez, the race is very long. With 25 laps, it is difficult to maintain concentration on a small and narrow circuit. So we will only focus on our bike, on our performance, because at the moment I feel ready to fight for victory.”
4 years ago, you were at this conference with Fabio, after taking pole in MotoGP and him in Moto3. Today he takes away a record from you. Is this a sign for the future?
“Yeah, that doesn’t seem so bad (laughs). No, jokes aside, Fabio already had very good talent when he arrived in Moto3. I have known him since the Spanish championship and he was very successful. Of course, he had a lot of podiums and a lot of victories, although, of course, a world title is always difficult and more special. But he has already broken a record, which is that of the youngest pole sitter. So tomorrow, I will try to stop him to prevent him from taking another record, that of the youngest winner (laughs).”
You and Jorge Lorenzo said that you were happy for Fabio, that you liked him and that he would be a rival for tomorrow…
“I’m happy for Fabio because it’s Saturday (laughs)! Tomorrow it will be different! He is a very talented boy, but he has changed a lot of things during his career. For example, I was very lucky to find a good atmosphere in my group and in my team. It was easier. He changed teams numerous times. He is a very young driver but I believe he has great talent and he has already shown it. So he will be fast in the future, and it's interesting because he rides the Yamaha in a very good way, which is not such an easy bike since the other 2 Yamahas are far from him today.”
How do you accept Fabio's evolution? Will he fight for victory or was it just a stunt?
“Fabio is a very talented driver, but, as I said before, I was in an easier situation when I arrived in the championship. I benefited from a good atmosphere and good advice, and I always stayed in the same category until I felt ready to change. For Fabio, it's a bit the opposite: He's very talented but he's always been on the move. His character is perhaps a little more nervous. He moved to Moto2 when no one expected it, then this year to MotoGP when “no one”, or me, expected it. But yes, in the end he shows that he is still fast and that his talent allows him to absorb all this new information. And now he can no longer change categories, which implies that he will be a fast rider in MotoGP when he has more experience. But the talent is there, and with just more experience, everything will fall into place.”
Ranking Qualification for the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez :
Q1:
Photo credit and rankings: MotoGP.com
