Marc Márquez leads despite a crash: "not cautious enough" in the corner

Despite leading the day's standings, Marc Márquez didn't have a smooth Friday. The Spanish rider crashed heavily during the first Free Practice session. “Today, it was completely my mistake. Turn 10 is one of my favorites, I love it, it’s a strong point in my driving style. When you have that memory of taking a corner a certain way, you’re no longer careful enough.”

A trap accentuated by the specific characteristics of the track and the new motorcycles, which require constant adaptation from one circuit to another. “I was already doing it at turns 3 and 4, trying to take them as usual, but from one circuit to another, you have to remember that these are new bikes. In that corner, before you lean the bike over, there are a lot of bumps. I was too optimistic on those first few laps.”

The physical consequences of this high-speed fall could weigh on the rest of the weekend. "Over the weekend, I'm going to have a bit more trouble because I hit the wall at high speed. My finger, my arm, everywhere. With that kind of fall, you're in pain all over, but especially in your back and neck. Those are the worst spots. We'll see how I feel tomorrow." Having been given a boost, the Spaniard, whose shoulders have often been weakened by past experiences, tries to be almost reassuring, not without a touch of humor. "My shoulder is fine. After this, my shoulder doesn't hurt anymore; the pain is concentrated elsewhere."

Beyond his personal case, the driver also points to a safety issue on this fast section of the circuit, where the margin for error remains extremely small. "In that corner, you hit the wall at high speed. It would be good to increase the run-off areas. Next year we'll have the 850cc bikes, but I think the Moto2 bikes could still hit the wall." Despite being in the lead, Marc Márquez is approaching the rest of the weekend with caution, balancing confidence on the sporting front with uncertainties on the physical front.

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