Marquez, from the crash to P1
Marc Marquez himself told the media about the bad crash in Austin’s FP1: “We didn’t start in the best way. I started with enthusiasm, but it’s true that at Turn 10 – which is one of my strong points – I should have been more cautious. I remembered taking that corner in a certain way, but this year a bump appeared before the entry that caused problems for many riders, but I was the one who crashed“.
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The image of Marquez among the protective barriers after the accident had caused a lot of concern, but the physical aches were not enough to stop the world champion’s weekend: “Mainly I have some abrasions, but they are the minor thing. I took a bad hit against the wall because I struck it and fortunately there were protective barriers and I managed to avoid them. If the run-off area were much wider, it would be better. We’ll see how my neck reacts on Saturday, because it’s the tightest part.”
Marc Marquez did not deny having a moment of human discouragement after the accident: “After a crash like that you don’t feel like going back on track anymore, but it’s in those moments that you tell yourself: ‘We get paid for this, to get back on track and give our best’. We are human and after a crash you don’t feel like going back, but it was essential to do at least two laps at the end of FP1 to shake off the feeling of the crash.”
The Spanish champion got back in the saddle and finished Practice ahead of everyone.
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Marquez no longer feels dominant in Austin
Joking with journalists, Marquez also had the chance to joke about his physical condition: “I feel less pain in my shoulder because it’s concentrated in other places now!“. But in short, the Ducati rider no longer feels as favored as in the past at the Circuit of the Americas: “Comparisons are odious. In the end, you have to get the most out of every year and every track. Now I feel better and better, but I know it will be tough and it won’t be an Austin like in past years, where I won by a wide margin. If we want to fight for the podium we have to give our best tomorrow, both in qualifying and in the race.”
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