Marc Marquez Battles Through Pain and Adversity in Tumultuous Sachsenring MotoGP Weekend

Marc Marquez: “I rode with the most powerful painkiller, let's see what we're capable of.”

Marc Marquez: “We needed an impeccable weekend to compete for the win. But every possible setback occurred!”

Marc Marquez's challenging weekend at the Sachsenring MotoGP persisted on Saturday in Germany. Despite suffering a finger fracture and rib bruising from a 190km/h crash on Friday, the Gresini Ducati racer was back on the track.

Marquez demonstrated his impressive pace by securing fifth place in the final practice session. However, his chances of advancing through Qualifying 1 were hindered by technical issues with his backup motorcycle and ultimately thwarted when Stefan Bradl impeded his progress.

The FIM Stewards subsequently penalized the HRC test rider, and Marquez ended up starting from 13th position on the grid.

Bradl expressed his apologies to Marc once more, stating, "I wish to apologize to Marc again." He mentioned that he approached Marc immediately following the session to discuss the matter face to face. Acknowledging that such incidents are possible, Bradl admitted his fault and accepted responsibility. He also confirmed that he will accept the penalty for the upcoming race.

In the Sprint race, Marquez methodically overtook his competitors, ultimately making a decisive move on the final corner to surpass a similarly struggling Maverick Vinales and secure sixth place.

Marquez finished the race 6.281 seconds behind the winner, Jorge Martin. He had previously acknowledged that only an impeccable performance would give him a chance at his first Ducati win. However, injuries, technical problems, and difficulties in qualifying have made his goal unattainable.

"Marquez remarked, 'At times, it's impossible to manage every aspect. As I mentioned on Thursday, achieving a win required an impeccable weekend. However, this time, anything that could go wrong in the garage, did!'"

"We encountered some technical issues initially, followed by a huge crash at Turn 11 which was detrimental. In Q1, we faced another technical glitch with the second set of tyres, and an unfortunate incident involving Stefan added to our troubles."

"Beginning the race from 13th position at Sachsenring makes it challenging to make significant progress, particularly since there are only limited opportunities to overtake each lap. However, the positive aspect is that when the track is clear, my speed matches that of the leading riders. This is a promising sign."

Marquez, who has always emerged victorious in premier-class races at Sachsenring, now sees tomorrow's race as a test of endurance due to his current physical state.

"I'm definitely a little frustrated since I feel really comfortable and quick on the bike," he mentioned. "The way we recovered during the race was positive. However, tomorrow we have to endure and aim to give our best just like we did today."

The 30-year-old mentioned that he participated in the Sprint while using "the most potent painkiller available to us. We'll assess our condition in a couple of hours."

"The finger is broken and hurts, but it's manageable. The main issue is the ribs, which cause increasing pain, particularly when I have to breathe deeply during the race."

"Because of this, I completed just three laps yesterday afternoon and another three consecutive laps this morning. Beyond that, let's wait and see what we are capable of achieving."

Marquez admitted that he was grateful the track had mostly left-hand turns, as this suited his physical condition better and allowed him to compete; otherwise, he might not have been able to race.

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