MARQUEZ KEEPS COOL IN SPANISH SIZZLER
Reigning champ uses his brain as top title contenders crash out
Marc Marquez is not getting too carried away after taking his first ever MotoGP win at Jerez to lead the MotoGP title fight by 12 points.
Fast from the start of the weekend, Marquez was able to ride clear of his opposition in the race, as all hell broke loose behind him. He said: “There’s only 12 points between me and Johann (Zarco), although I gained a big advantage when the others crashed. But I said before Qatar that Johann would be strong this year and that the Suzukis would be on the podium, so more or less the prediction has come true! I said that the Ducatis would be strong too and they were close at Jerez where they’ve normally been weaker, so they’ll be stronger in other circuits too. It’s only been four races.” Taking the victory by over five seconds from Zarco, Marquez was able to demonstrate that he can use his brain when required. It was a much more measured ride after his gung-ho antics of recent rounds which have seen him at the centre of controversy.
“It was about making the right decisions every single lap and not a race about speed. I was so clever in the beginning trying to overtake other riders, until I realised it was nearly impossible to overtake Lorenzo. I saw his tyres starting to drop though, and knew that was the time to lead the race. “From there I was able to open a gap and I was able to pull out a few seconds and take the 25 points. I was surprised Jorge (Lorenzo) and Dovizioso were able to fight, especially after Dovi came from so far back. At Jerez, everyone is able to be fast for one lap, but race distance is another thing.”
But while Marquez remains in fine form taking victory in the last two races, there’s a faint glimmer of hope for his rivals, with problems still persisting with his RCV. With Marquez believed to have reverted to Cal Crutchlow’s settings for the race, he said afterwards that this week’s test in Jerez (see page 74) will be an important opportunity to address these issues.
‘It was about making the right decisions’