Marc Marquez has just won his seventh consecutive victory at the Sachsenring where tire choice and strategy made all the difference.
“It was another race,” says Marquez. “I think I made a mistake at the start of the race. Initially I wanted to use the soft tire, but when I saw Jorge and Vale opt for the extra-soft, I decided to follow them. Michelin offered really soft tires this weekend compared to Assen. Today we have a wide range of choices. »
The Honda driver then took the gamble of choosing slick tires on the 18th lap of the race when the track began to dry, “I took a lot of risks, because I was far from the podium, and despite there being a few more wet turns. Likewise, I did not know my real position on the track. When I saw 'P1 +20 sec' on my pitboard, I immediately realized that it was good news. »
Where some have chosen intermediate tires, Marquez explains, “In our team, intermediate tires do not exist. We choose slicks or rain. I didn't know where Jorge and Vale were, I tried to control and just raced. »
Despite this strategic victory, the Spaniard escaped the worst today: a fall this morning in warmup and an exit from the track at high speed during the race, “This morning, it's a bit my fault. We made big changes to the bike. I lost the rear when I hit the white line. I'm lucky to have escaped unscathed. In the race I lost the front and I widened. I immediately put my motocross training to good use and didn't crash. »
Today, Marquez is 48 points ahead of Lorenzo in the provisional Championship standings and 59 over Rossi, the big loser in the machine change game. “These last two races have been good for me,” he adds. “I may not have been the fastest, but I was the most consistent. This lead gives me more confidence, but you have to be careful and not be too confident. I've already lost a lot of points in the standings, anything can happen. You must manage this advance as best as possible. »
Cal Crutchlow finds the podium in MotoGP. His last podium was at the 2015 Argentine Grand Prix. “It's good to be back on the podium, but I'm also disappointed not to have won,” he said. “I chose the harder tire at the front and I felt good on the bike. The extra-soft tire is a little too soft for my riding style. This morning, I almost crashed because I couldn't get the tire to warm up. It was difficult at the start of the race. »
“The team did a great job, but to be honest, I didn't even look at my pitboard, I just followed the two in front of me. This season has been difficult so far, but Honda is trying hard. » Note that this is his second podium on the Sachsenring track. The Briton will be present at the test in Austria next Tuesday and Wednesday before returning home to enjoy his wife and his soon-to-be born child.
With his 3rd place, Andrea Dovizioso takes the 100th Ducati podium in the MotoGP category after a thunderous fight against Scott Redding who fails at the foot of the podium, “I am both happy and disappointed,” laments the Italian. “Maybe I made the wrong decision, I was focused and I didn't change bikes at the right time. »
The Ducati rider waited until lap 24 to change machines, “Cal was waiting for our decision, but it was the wrong decision. You never want to stop. » Dovizioso also acknowledges a lack of preparation, “You never know how the track is going to change and we can't communicate. Usually we organize everything in advance, but today I didn't know what tires I had. »
As for whether communications could help in these conditions, pilots are divided.
“For me, it’s no. It's way too dangerous to have someone talking to you while you're driving 200km/h on the corner,” Marquez explains.
“The mechanics have enough experience to make the right choices,” adds Crutchlow.
For Dovizioso, the answer is different, “It would be simpler and much better for safety, but I think it is also better for our sport to stay like this. »
