until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Marc Marquez has continued to maintain a cautious approach to his return to MotoGP action after today’s free practice sessions at the Portuguese Grand Prix, as he continues to assess his condition after nine months of absence from the premier class.
Finishing the day in sixth overall and half a second from fastest man Pecco Bagnaia, Marquez answered some of the questions about what form he would return to the series with – but the Repsol Honda rider says that while the speed is there, he doesn’t know if the longer-run pace is.
“It was a great day and a great feeling, and honestly speaking from the first run even when the track wasn’t so good, I felt good on the bike,” he said after starting the day on a damp track.
“In terms of feeling, I was better in the morning than in the afternoon, because my arm was fresh and I had more power. In the afternoon, I was struggling a little bit more to warm it up and feel that it was more tired.
“We’re in a much better situation than we expected before the weekend, and I don’t know how! I don’t understand what’s going on – I’m just riding the bike! In the afternoon I started to feel it a bit more, and the lap times are coming, even though that’s not the most important thing right now.
“But it’s true that the main question mark for me is how the arm will react through the weekend and how I will wake up tomorrow, because the speed is there. If I have less power [on Saturday and Sunday], then I’ll need to change my riding style because this circuit is physically demanding.”
Despite showing a strong return to form with a typical Marquez save on his final lap of FP2, the six-time MotoGP champion also urged more caution about what’ll be possible in tomorrow’s qualifying session in particular, as he continues to explore how to balance his physical condition with the changes a fresh tyre makes to the Repsol Honda.
“The thing is, the last lap was a little crazy – I didn’t like it but I had a nice save,” he joked. “It’s true that with a new tyre I’m struggling more than I am on a used tyre, because with a used tyre the bike becomes softer and the times are slower, and I feel much more comfortable.
“With a new tyre, everything is stiffer, and particularly in the change of direction from turn six to seven, my head said it was time to go in but my body didn’t follow it.
“I slid a little bit, but I created the slide to complete the turn, but that’s just the way I ride. I didn’t give up the lap because it was the last one.”
And while he’s making progress in returning to competitiveness, there’s clearly something still missing from Marquez’s usual repertoire of skills as he continues to re-adapt to MotoGP after over 500 days since his last grand prix chequered flag.
“I still don’t know my target because I don’t understand how I ride the bike,” he admitted. “It’s strange to explain, but I understand that I’m riding it and I’m concentrating, but I don’t really feel the limit. I’m working with Stefan Bradl’s base because I don’t really know how to set up the bike.
“Tomorrow we’ll start to change things. This morning I was good, this afternoon I wasn’t so good, and it was honestly a surprise when I went into the box and saw I was P6. I made a lot of mistakes and I expected to be out of Q2 [the top 10].
“I felt slow. The speed is there, but everything depends on my physical condition. I know I’ll be more tired tomorrow because I already feel it today.”
