In Italy and at Yamaha, Marc Marquez didn't just make friends after the MotoGP qualifying session at Mugello. It must be said that the Honda official played with the always fragile nerves of his counterpart at Yamaha, in this case Maverick Viñales. The eight-time World Champion followed him like his shadow, to the point of ridicule by rushing in and out of the pit lane with him. Some saw this as grand strategy, others as low-level fraud. Yamaha’s interpretation obviously opts for the second approach…
The faces were discomfited at Yamaha at the end of a Q1 that Maverick Vinales had imposed itself by falling into the FP3. The exercise was a priori a formality for the official M1. But that was without counting on a Marc Marquez transformed into a leech. The eight-time World Champion had decided to be the shadow of his compatriot on the track. The latter, annoyed, first tried to make the pilot understand Honda that he did not consent to make the trace, then tried to get rid of this unwanted companion. Unfocused, he missed his last timed lap, appearing to be the first to be eliminated from Q1…
It will be recalled that in Portugal, Joan mir had complained about such an attitude on the part of Marc Marquez. During Q2, the same Marquez did the same operation on Brad Binder. But the first mentioned like the second still managed, in the end, to achieve their performances. Unlike the emotional Casa Particular in Viñales. And then, according to the rules, annoying is also playing. So why deprive yourself of it by choosing your prey carefully?
Yamaha: “Marc Marquez is starting to behave like he used to”
There remains the frustration. Which exudes from the Yamaha box with Maio Meregalli : " It looks like Marc Marquez is getting better and better because he's starting to behave like he used to » blurted out the team director. “ And he really did something he shouldn't have to do I don't want to finish what I really want to say »Adds Meregalli who therefore restrains his anger. But he appeals to the authorities: “ I hope that maybe the Race Direction will decide something because for me his behavior was not fair ».
And what do you think Maverick Vinales ? He charges the team… “ I just tried to do my thing and I wasn't fast enough, so the problem was ours, and it is that we were not able to make the most of what was there. We were not fast, when you are not fast, there is this possibility of being taken as a reference. We planned to do 45.5 and we did 46.0 so we were eliminated ».
« I have no comment on the pilot looking for a wheel, things are shown on the track and today we were not fast. There are marshals, there is a team it is not up to me to report, everyone goes on the track as they want and there are outside people who penalize or not penalize. Whether it feels good or bad, I gotta stay focused ».
He adds : " I don't think I would have passed anyway, I had already lost two tenths in T3 and T4. I already know that I lose two more, so I would not have improved my time in the last lap, I assure you, in the straight they get three tenths better ».
Casa Particular in Viñales ends, as if annoyed: “ Okay Quartararo took pole with the same bike, he is very good and very fast, a crack yes, but I assure you that is not an excuse, I would not have been able to enter Q2 during my last recovery attempt in the last sector. I stopped the lap at the finish line, opening up to pick up speed and try a second attempt, but saw that I hadn't had time to cross the finish line before the flag, there was no error ».
MotoGP Italy J2: qualifying
Credit classification motogp.com
