Just one week after the Portuguese GP in which he finished sixth, Marc Márquez will participate this weekend in his national GP in Jerez. In difficulty in Portimão like all Honda drivers, the Spaniard will therefore try to redress the situation on the Andalusian circuit. Number 93 answered questions from journalists during the press conference ahead of the GP, and we transcribe his entire remarks here.
Marc, you clearly didn't get the result you wanted last weekend in Portimão, and from the outside it really looked like Honda had a tough time there. Do you think the Honda can do better this weekend on the Jerez circuit?
« It is clear that we have been far in Portimão. Certainly we finished in sixth place, but we were too far from the podium and from victory. We had a lot of problems in the race, but we will try to be better here in Jerez. We already have some ideas of things we can try, not just on the bike, but also on myself to keep improving. We're working on all of that, so we're going to see where I stand in FP1 and from there we're going to figure out what I can expect from that. weekend. »
Have you identified the main problem that is preventing the Honda from being at the forefront so far this year?
« It's a good question. It's a bike that works well on big circuits, like the ones we rode on during pre-season testing, in Qatar as well as Mandalika. But as soon as we arrived on narrower circuits, where you have to make rapid and numerous changes of direction, we found ourselves in difficulty. We don't yet have the solution for all of this, but what is certain is that the potential is there, and we simply need to find a way to unlock all of this potential. »
A day of post-race testing will take place here after the GP, next Monday. What do you expect from your team on this test?
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Concerning me we can say that this test begins tomorrow. We're going to try lots of things, not necessarily new, but more to find a base. So we will try to find a base on which I can be comfortable, and only then we will try new things. »
Jerez is known for being a really tight circuit, and everyone has a lot of data there. Do you think this is a source of additional pressure or do you have the strong conviction that you can win here this Sunday?
« Jerez is indeed truly a compact, small circuit. Everyone is usually quite close on a lap, but when it comes to race pace everyone keeps their distance. It's a circuit where it's difficult to overtake, not to mention today with all the aerodynamics on motorcycles and other devices. Normally when you set up to race at a given position, you manage to stay there without too much difficulty. »
Jorge Lorenzo will become a MotoGP Legend tomorrow. What is your opinion on this induction? How do you place him compared to other Legends of the discipline?
« He is one of those guys who are so special in the discipline, with a strong personality. He was really strong on the track. When it was his day he was virtually unbeatable and he managed to drive incredibly well. So I have enormous respect for him because I learned a lot from him. Of course later when we were teammates [in 2019] things were already different. I don't like to rank the drivers, it's something impossible. Every driver has his moment, and I can tell you that when Lorenzo was driving at his best, he was really very fast and consistent. »
The number of testing days during the season will be reduced from 2023. What is your opinion on this?
« If you're having problems with your motorcycle or the upgrades you have aren't working the way you want them to, this can be a plus. However, you don't have enough time to start everything from scratch. Typically the engine I received last year in Valencia was more or less the same as the one I found a few months later in Mandalika and which I have been using so far this year. For the rest, you can work during the season on the chassis or even on the swinging arm. So I think it's a good thing to reduce the number of testing days given that the championship is growing. You can't do both at the same time time. »
