The Honda rider is the great sensation in Portimao, where he finished third in the first free practice this Friday and where he managed to get into the group of riders who are provisionally classified for Q2, in second.
Márquez went from less to more but fast, and always prowled around the top of the time table. Despite the inactivity, the one from Cervera (Lleida) had no trouble becoming competitive again, something that according to what he said surprised him more than the rest of his rivals.
After 265 days away from his RC213V , the multi-champion returned to riding a MotoGP bike, after having done so a few weeks ago, both in Montmeló and Portimao , with the production version of his racing prototype.
“When I got to the garage after the first start, I told the guys that I feel more comfortable with this bike than with the street version”, acknowledged the Spaniard, with a laugh, who already on the first day was the most spectacular in track, with skids and the occasional scare.
He, who is always pushed to the limit, says he is not enjoying himself as much as before the injury, a level of satisfaction that he hopes to recover as he relaxes and begins to understand a bike that he rode more by instinct than by head this first day.
“It was a great day, with great sensations. I felt very good from the start, but in the morning better than in the afternoon, when I already had a little worse time with my arm, which was more tense. I’m better than I expected, the times come and the speed is there”, summed up the Catalan.
Despite the good start, the #93 believes that it will be the passing of the hours and, above all, how tired he gets up each morning, the factors that will determine what objective he will have with a view to this Sunday’s race.
“I still don’t know what goal I will set because I still don’t know how I drive; I still don’t know where the limit is. This afternoon when I went back to the garage and saw the weather I couldn’t believe it. I thought I would be out of Q2 . I’m still without pressure, but I’m not ruling anything out. I’m not looking at the classification much. Driving is already good; now it’s time to do it feeling the bike”, Márquez pointed out, pointing out the shoulder and the stabilizing muscles of the elbow, as the areas that annoy and limit him the most.
“At the moment I’m not enjoying myself very much. I am still noticing that it is physically difficult for me, especially in the right-hand corners, because I lack a bit of strength in my right arm. Everything will depend on how I get up tomorrow [on Saturday] and how we handle the arm”, settled the runner.
The photos of the reappearance of Márquez in the Portuguese GP
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo from: motosport.com
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
