Marc Márquez in "survival" mode at Jerez: "I don't have the potential to attack"

Joint holder of the record for victories (3) at Jerez among active riders with Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Márquez is having a more discreet start to the weekend than usual in Andalusia. Fifth in Free Practice 1, then fourth in Friday's qualifying session, the Ducati rider is content with a Grand Prix start described as a " An acceptable day, neither good nor bad. ».

Number 93, however, is lagging behind against increasingly stiff competition. For the first time since the 2024 Aragon GP, ​​Aprilia has placed all four of its bikes directly into Q2, ahead of the Spaniard. Within the Borgo Panigale camp, Márquez is also showing an uncharacteristic lack of pace compared to his brother Álex and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

« I am slower than the others. he admitted to the media present on site, including AUTOheboWe're working in the garage to improve the weak points where I'm struggling the most. I was losing more on the last two fast corners, but also on the left-hand corners; I had a bad feeling today. »

To correct the situation, the reigning champion plans to rely on telemetry data from other teams within the Ducati group. I have Alex's data and I'll be looking at it because I always check the data of the best Ducati rider. Right now, he's riding extremely well, both in terms of flying laps and tire degradation. We'll see if we can improve ourselves tomorrow."

Aprilia is holding its own against Ducati

While the Italian brand had reigned supreme in recent seasons, Ducati is now seeing Aprilia close the gap. Aprilia has clearly taken a step forward this year, insists Marc Márquez. When you make slight improvements to the bike, the riders improve performance, and it's hard for the other manufacturers to challenge them in Q2. But as we only saw today, a tenth and a half separated third from tenth place. It's very close. MotoGP now"

After a crash during the Grand Prix of the Americas, the Spaniard arrived in Jerez with a nasty scar on his right arm. The break, however, allowed him to recover. Physically I feel good, he says. We just need to work in the garage to improve the feel"

Although his physical condition has returned, the behavior of his official GP26 does not yet allow him to dictate his usual pace. I don't have the potential to attack. I have the potential to survive. he decides. We'll see if we can improve, but the goal is to be on the podium. It's an optimistic objective; for the moment, we're not even there yet."

But the weather in Jerez could work in Marc Márquez's favor. While humidity made an appearance during FP2, the nine-time world champion showed encouraging signs of improvement. This scenario is reminiscent of the 2024 edition, during which he dominated the competition to secure a masterful pole position in similar conditions.

Interview by Luca Bartolomeo, in Jerez de la Frontera.

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