The great novelty of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Catalonia this weekend is the opening to a reduced number of fans in the stands, making it the first weekend of racing in Spain with the public since the pandemic broke out.
“Having fans on the circuit is great news,” Márquez said at the weekend’s pre-match press conference.
“It is fantastic for everyone that there is an audience, it is great news and it is very good that it is here in Barcelona . As we have seen in other sports, step by step the doors are opening for fans to come and I am very happy that in the future we will be able to increase the number of fans, because we riders notice it a lot”, he added.
Returning to the sporting plane, Márquez recalled the difficulties of Mugello , last Sunday, when he could not finish the second lap.
“Italy was a very difficult weekend, like all the ones I’ve had since I came back. We will try to take a step forward trying to advance in this process, to see if we are able to improve at the level of sensations, at the level of results, it does not matter because nothing is going to change me no matter where the race ends.
With the one in Barcelona, there are already five grand prix in which the Honda one will participate after reappearing from nine months off.
“When you come back after an injury it’s because you feel more or less prepared. What has surprised me the most is how demanding MotoGP is. When you are at home for a while you forget a bit, you can feel prepared at the gym level, but when you ride the motorcycle with all the strength you need, the movements or the inertia, you cannot emulate them in training. I am not capable of doing five laps with my aggressive style, they are very demanding bikes, the best in the world, and you compete against the best riders”.
Marc does not see progress in his recovery and came to admit that he felt “stuck” in this process, in addition to the difficulty of a motorcycle like the Honda, which does not help.
“Since my return it has been difficult for me to understand what is happening on the track and on the bike. I started with the new elements that Honda introduced last year, but I didn’t understand them and went back to the 2020 bike from the Jerez race. I felt better, but I didn’t quite understand it. In the end, what I need is to ride, to do kilometers, and what I notice most is if I am riding fresh or tired, something that had never happened to me before. Now the sensations change from one day to the next, the bike doesn’t change but my physique does. Sometimes you are forcing other parts of the body, these riders go very fast and you have to accept that they are faster than me (now). But we are going to continue working to try to get back to our best level”.
The decline of Honda has coincided with the loss of Marc and the retirement of Cal Crutchlow , who used to ride with LCR and was, at times, a test rider for HRC .
“Honda in recent years has been a difficult bike, but a winner. And I consider that now it is at the same level more or less. The potential is there, the fact that I was not there last year, or that Cal was not at his best level, may have made us lose a year of development compared to the rest, but Honda is working to provide a better and more comfortable bike to drive for everyone. In the end, a difficult bike affects the lap time. You have to be focused and physically one hundred percent, if that’s the case I’m sure it’s still a winning bike”.
“Of course I am asking Honda and the riders that we need a bike that is comfortable and suits all riding styles. It is said that Honda only follows my comments, but all the riders, including Jorge Lorenzo the year he was with us, their comments went in the same direction. It’s a critical bike, but if you find a way, it allows you to win. To win in 2019 I fell 20 times, it is difficult to find the limits. We are all in the same boat and sometimes the rider has to help the bike and sometimes it’s the other way around. We need a bike that we can all ride, finding the balance to be fast on the bike.”
Finally, Marc spoke about the importance of nutrition after an injury, and that he continues to take antibiotics.
“Nutrition is very important, especially if you are injured or in a recovery process. In recent months I have been very careful with my diet because I have been taking, and continue to take, many antibiotics and that makes you lower your defenses, so it is very important to compensate with food, “he settled.
The photos of the 2021 season of Marc Márquez in MotoGP
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: MotoGP
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Repsol Media
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: MotoGP
Photo de: Motorsport.com
Photo by: Repsol Media
Photo by: Repsol Media
Photo by: Repsol Media
Photo by: Repsol Media
Photo by: Repsol Media
