Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez took his second MotoGP victory in succession, his first on a clockwise circuit, at Misano on Sunday, proving his rehabilitation is well on the way.
Marquez admitted, however, the mixed conditions throughout the Emilia Romagna GP weekend played their part in keeping him fresh for Sunday’s 27-lap race, allowing him to push when needed.
The HRC rider was rapid from lights out as he launched from seventh on the grid. Taking third at the opening corner to trail the leading Ducati pair of Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller from the start. Marquez promptly inherited second after Miller crashed out at turn 15 on lap four and it was a two horse race for the remaining duration.
Marquez frequently hassled the race-leading and title-challenging Bagnaia for 19 laps before the 24-year-old crashed out, in a mirror-image of his teammate, five laps before the end of the race. The victory gifted, alongside the eight-second lead the pair had carved out, with Pol Espargaro joining his garage partner on the podium - the first of his HRC career - for jubilant Honda celebrations and the first one-two for the Japanese marque since Aragon 2017.
“Yeah of course I’m really happy today, obviously,” Marquez said after the podium. “Happy for me, for the Repsol Honda Team because we finished first-second and it’s important for HRC staff, but especially because we won in a right corner circuit. Was one of my targets.
“I already say on Thursday in the press conference that I would like to finish in the podium here, or Portimao. We won here in a really fast race. The way that we were able to manage the race was really, really good. It’s true that Pecco was faster than us, and the lap when I give up - because he was pushing a lot - is when he crashed. Is something that happens on the races but we were able to push, we were able to be fast, competitive, and especially the race pace. For me, win a race like flag to flag or wet conditions, okay, it’s a victory. But this way, win a race following Pecco, that is really fast in this race track, and in a right corner circuit and pushing and riding in the lap record pace is something really nice, really good. Really important to myself, to my team and to prepare well 2022.”
Marquez was lightning quick off the lights at the start of Sunday’s race, passing Espargaro, Miguel Oliveira and Franky Morbidelli before looking to challenge Miller at Misano’s tricky opening corners.
“One of my weak points when I arrive in MotoGP was my starts, and now it becomes one of my strongest points,” the eight-time champion explained. “This year I realised that the qualifying practice is not my best point or my strong point so I start to focus a lot on the starts.
“I start really good, really fast - from seven to third in the first lap - because I knew that both Ducati riders, they will push from the beginning. In fact, when I saw the lap time in the beginning, 32.2, I say ‘Okay what’s going on here?’ because yesterday I was struggling to do 33.8 but today the feeling was there. The bike was working good and especially also the last laps, the distance between me and the others was very big. It’s something also that is important because in the end, half this margin I was able to ride in a good way - because the last laps, I was struggling a bit with my physical condition. But the fact that all weekend was on wet conditions make me the chance to arrive, the first Sunday that I arrive fresh. I arrive with energy and today when I wake up I say ‘Okay, I feel the arm is there, I feel power’. So this helps me.
“Basically, the biggest difference this weekend is that we ride all the time in wet,” he continued. “You don’t force, you don’t push and today I was fresh and I don’t have a lot of pain on the arm before I start the race. So I was able to ride in a good way. I also was coming from a feeling in the test, but in the test I was riding but I was very tired and I was not riding well.
“Today is what I saw during all the season, when I’m fresh, the level is there. The problem is that the weekends start on Friday and finish on Sunday, so still margin to improve.”
Since the summer break, Marquez’ season has gone from strength to strength, so much so that he is now in contention for fourth, possibly even third in the championship, with 33 points separating him from Joan Mir and 50 points left on the table.
“To myself, just, I’m riding my own championship - that means from Austria to here,” the 28-year-old explained as he played down the possibility. “From Austria to here, on terms of points, I’m not far from the best riders.
“Just is some targets inside the team, inside my mind to keep motivated and to prepare our 2022 season. I don’t feel comfortable on the bike, but step by step, I feel better and better and the physical condition improves. So as soon as improve the physical condition, the results are coming. But also HRC is working in a very good way. Me and Pol, we are riding a different spec than other Hondas and here was working well. So try to prepare in a good way the 2022 season is the main target of this second part of the season.
“Next step of course, is to try to concentrate on the last two races, and I will like minimum to finish in the top five, both races. Can be a conservative mode, but are two races in a row so, I don’t know how I will feel. But anyway, top five is a good target, next two races, then if we can be better we will push.
“Then on the winter time, I need to take a rest, first of all. Just try to understand if taking a rest we can improve. We are trying also to analyse well the situation. Find a good plan and don’t be 100% in February, be 100% when we start in Qatar, so this will be the main target.”
As much as Marquez’ victory is an impressive marker in both his and Honda’s recent journey, he was aware that today’s win was overshadowed by Fabio Quartararo securing the 2021 MotoGP World Championship.
“Today we can speak a lot here, ‘Very important day, blah, blah, blah…’ but is not our day, is the day of Fabio,” he said simply. “The day of the champion. The fastest, the most consistent, the best rider of the year, so the champion.
“Fabio did an incredible season,” he continued. “He was able to be fast, he was able to be consistent, but especially something that is really difficult to have, he was able to suffer. In the way that when he suffered, he was able to finish in the top five, even in the podium. So, time to learn about what he did, and try to fight against the champion in 2022.”