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Striker to strategist: how Marquez built his fifth world title

When Marc Marquez woke up on Sunday morning he followed the ordinary routine: “There was a possibility to claim the title but it seemed impossible. I didn’t think about it. I had no pressure, I did everything in the same way. Breakfast, toilet… yes because when I more nervous I go to the toilet more often.”

But after the unexpected happened, the impossible is no more a concern for the 23-year-old Spaniard who dedicated the title also to his grandmother, Soledad, who sed to tell him: “Be careful, but nothing is impossible.” On Sunday at Motegi this proved to be the case.

No-one was more surprised than Marquez himself. Not because of the championship, but for how it came to pass. In the day where he dominated at the Honda track in front of big bosses, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, respectively second and third in the championship, did a double hara-kiri, serving Marquez the tile on a platter.

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Looking at the statistics, this was the first time that the two Yamaha riders crashed on the same day in seven years as team-mates. One after the other, the dream to stop Marc’s title chase finished in the gravel and Maquez could celebrate his five world titles with the special t-shirt ‘Give me 5’. A record. Marquez claimed the third MotoGP title in four years, the fifth in seven seasons. At the age of 23 and 242 days, he is the youngest-ever rider to win three premier-class World Championship titles, taking the record from Mike Hailwood who was 24 years 108 days when he won his third successive 500cc title in 1964.

A well deserved success, built race after race, as Marquez himself explained. “If I have to give a headline to this 2016 world championship title, I would definitely say the most pursued title.”

From the most difficult winter test to the triumph, we rewind a season where Honda’s Marc Marquez was able to change his approach to races: from striker to strategist:

Change of mentality
This winter Honda looked like a machine that was struggling due to the new spec-electronics. Yamaha looked the most balanced bike, while Ducati and Suzuki had taken a big step forward.

“We were eigthth or ninth in the first test at Sepang. I cannot explain how much pressure I had. I was no more myself. My team had to remember to tell me to smile. I was not enjoying. After Qatar test we sat down with Emilio (Alzamora), my manager, and Santi (Hernandez) my chief mechanic, and studied a strategy. Then I met the Honda engineers and we made a kind of deal.

“I promised them that I would be more patient in the first part of the season. I would change my approach in order to be more careful earning points. But I needed their help for the second part. I needed a bike to fight at least at same level as the rivals.

“I have always trusted Honda and it happened like this. It was mutual. I changed my mentality and they worked hard on the bike I had always approached every single race as it was the final round, giving everything. This year, I finally understood that each race is an important piece of a larger puzzle, which is the championship. My approach to races changed: I pushed 100 per cent when I was completely comfortable, otherwise I settled for the podium or a fourth place. I also learned to forget about other riders and being completely focused on myself and my team.”

Finding the limit
Pushing hard but staying within the limit was a turning point. “In 2015 I lost the championship because I did too many mistakes. It was an expensive price to pay and I learned from it. It was imperative to make a change. This year I gave my 100 per cent in the practices, I crashed a lot to understand where the limit was so that I could stay within in the race.”

Consistency
Marquez was the only rider to have earned points in all the 15 GPs this year. Despite the crashes, 14 this season, he always scored points. He did also in Le Mans where he crashed and he re-joined the race, finishing 13th. He earned three precious points that allowed him to win the title in Japan with three races to go. Once Valentino Rossi crashed, there was a 77-point deficit with only 75 points left to win.

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Le Mans GP
The turning point was the French GP. “It was the worst moment of the season. I crashed because I was doing the ‘old Marquez’. I learned from that incident and I told myself: from now on, I will push only when I am absolutely comfortable, otherwise I avoid and settle for the best position I can achieve. My team has supported me a lot and was repeating me to be patient and wait for Aragon.”

Barcelona GP
Barcelona GP represented another step forward for understanding of the Michelin tyres. “I did many laps behind Valentino Rossi in the race and I could study how he uses the front tyre. He has raced a lot with Michelin also in the past and I learned a lot from him.”

Brno Test
“The big wings arrived and they helped us a lot. We also did an important step with the electronics”.”

Aragon GP
Why Aragon? “Because it’s one of my best tracks. I did many test there, many long runs, even 120 laps. I know that from Aragon we could start to attack and plan the second part of the season.”

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So they did and also the private test after the race was crucial. “In the test we prepared the four remaining races in every detail. We also improved the electronics, a little but the acceleration but I felt stronger especially in the braking points.”

Motegi GP
The perfect race to put everything he had learn in practice. From striker to accountant to striker again, according to the situation.

“I did a good start, which is unusual, and Valentino overtook me three-four times in a strange way. I think he was nervous. I decided to push hard as I didn’t want to go into that battle with him. Then he crashed. I continued to push, calculating in my mind how I had to finish in Phillip Island to win the title.

“Finally, when I was signalled on the pit board <<Lorenzo out>>, I realized that I was world championship. In that lap I missed the gears three-four times, I didn’t know in which circuit I was. It was really difficult to keep the concentration. We won in front of the big Honda boss, this is also important.”

On Sunday Honda regained the title from the rival Yamaha on a Japanese soil, another important milestone, that ties Marquez to Honda even stronger.

The RC213V
“I have always trusted Honda. As my engineers promised, they worked hard and improved the bike and now I can count on a competitive machine”.

Pressure
This third world title in the premier class represents an important milestone. “I’m happier than the previous times. In 2013 it was my rookie year, I had no pressure and I won. In 2014 I was very strong, but on the contrary this time, I went through the most difficult winter test and start of the season.

“I had a lot of pressure but I was able to learn from the 2015 season and change my approach. Being a champion means to be able to manage the pressure. Compared to the 2013 and 2014 season, when I also won, this year I can say I have achieved this skill.”

Marquez era
With a record of five world titles at 23-year-old and the solid support from Honda, this could be the start of the Marquez era.
“There is not a limit. I need to keep on going year after year, learning from the previous season. Then every year is different. I cannot complain about my career. In the every day life I’m still the same. I still live in Cevera, Spain, where I was born and go out with the same friends. This is very important. It keeps me rooted.”

Fun
What shall we expect now? “For the remaining three races you will see the old Marc Marquez back. No more pressure, I can really enjoy. You will see the old Marc back.” Translated: the striker is back. This capacity to change and adapt to the different situation is also the essential skill of a champion.

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