Marc Marquez after Australian MotoGP: “The gamble didn’t pay off” | Jorge Martin's tyre? "A big surprise for me"
But a fastᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚer pace in Saturday’s 2023 event meant 🍬Marquez soon realised a repeat of the tyre gamble had backfired.
While all eyes were on the same soft choice by race leader Jorge Martin, dramatically𒐪 caught and passed on the final lap, Marquez faded steadily from 5th to 15th against the medium-shod rivals.
“Last year the soft tyre brought us the podium, this year the gamble didn’t pay off,” said the Repsol Honda rideꦛr.
“I was hoping for a slower race, but straight away Martin was pushing hard and I knew it would bಞe a very fast race.
“At the start I really enjoyed the ten or so laps with Bagnaia and Zarco as we were fighting a lot𓂃.
“Then I needed to chang🌳e my tactic and just focus on bringing the bike home as I was suffering more with tyre life.
“Now we wait and see what 𝓰will happen with the situation tomorrow.”
Marquez said abou🌳t Martin's costly choice: "When I saw him with a rear soft tyre, it was a big surprise for me.
"Be𝔍cause in the morning he was super-fast with the medium. I didn't unders꧅tand the choice.
"I said 'I don't know if he will attack from the beginning or if he will manage the tyre and attack in🍃 the end'.
"When I saw him attack from the b𒁃egin🔯ning, I said 'okay he is convinced'.
"For me, if I had some chanc🎀e to be in top, it's if we had a slow race. But it was a super-fast race. We did our maximum.
"I destroyed the tyre 🌌because 🧸the rear option was my choice."
Marquez said about Johann Zarco, who won his first MotoGP race at 🍎the 120th attempt: "Johann is really talented, two-time world champion in Moto2. He deserves at least one victory.
"It was already strange that a rider like him hadn't achieved it before. Now he has, so congratsꦜ Johann."
Pol Espargaro ⛦was the thirdꦜ rider to try the soft rear, dropping from 9th to 18th.
The soft wi♊ll have no problems with the shorter Sprint distance, but the extreme weather forecast (which prompted the main grand prix to be switched to Saturday) means the 13-lap race remains uncertain.
Marquez was still the top Honda at the finish, with his 15th place ensuring&꧃nbsp;HRC avoided the embarrassment of repeat🌃ing its Silverstone GP non-score.
With 2022 winner Alex Rins absent due to pain from his healing leg, lone LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami finished 19th and last while Marquez’s team-mate Joan Mir was bumped out of 15🍌th by contact from Luca Marini.
“I'm disappointed with todꦅay, it is another hard one,” Mir said.
“I was just trying to m෴ake my race, not hurting anyone, trying to take care of the tyres because you saw what happened at the end of the race.
“We were wo♓rking in t🦩he correct way according to the data. Then Marini tried to overtake me and hit me, and I fell after losing the front.
“Being in the back, 🌊the situation is mor♔e complicated as the riders are fighting a lot – I was a victim of it today. But this is racing. Let’s see tomorrow.”
The FIM Stewards deemed it a racing accid𝓀ent witꩵh no further action taken.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossꦉi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story an🅰d Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
