Marc Marquez Ends Victory Drought with Flawless Aragon MotoGP Weekend: ‘I Put Pressure on Myself to Be Perfect

Marc Marquez admitted he felt self-imposed pressure to achieve an ideal performance during the Aragon MotoGP weekend. "During the Sprint, I couldn't enjoy myself because I was aware of the significance of today's events," he explained.

After nearly three years without a win, Marc Marquez broke his losing streak at the Aragon MotoGP last weekend, calling the triumph the result of a "perfect" weekend.

Marquez led the rankings in all three practice rounds, secured the pole position with a margin of 0.8 seconds, dominated the Sprint race, and finished the Grand Prix on Sunday with a five-second lead over Jorge Martin.

The only session Marquez did not lead was the Warm Up, which was damp due to rain from Saturday night through Sunday morning, as he did not record a lap time.

“It was an ideal weekend,” Marquez mentioned during the press conference following the race. “We dominated every session, except for the Warm Up where, to be honest, I chose to remain in the pit with the team.”

Marquez discussed the emotional tension that had accumulated over nearly three years without a win, and the sense of relief he experienced when he crossed the finish line to secure his 60th victory in the premier class.

"In the race, we felt fantastic right from the start," he mentioned. "The race was extremely lengthy, and managing emotions in the final laps was challenging, but crossing the finish line made me feel like I shed 3-4kg."

"Due to the increasing burden on my back with each step, winning this was unbelievable. Right away, I began reflecting on the entire journey, the people who supported me, my family, my girlfriend, and my brother, Alex Marquez."

"They provided significant assistance, and the Gresini team, in particular, offered me a great chance. As a newcomer, I aimed to put in my best effort, and we succeeded. We've set new goals and will continue to push forward."

Marquez created a significant lead during the race, allowing him to contemplate various matters in the last few laps.

"In the final three laps, I was already thinking about the podium," he mentioned. "Even more than the podium, the atmosphere in the Gresini garage is always lively and joyful; it's constantly a celebration there."

"Additionally, the most important factor was the support of the people around me. During extremely challenging times, if you don't have a compassionate and caring team who are even more affected than you are, it can make all the difference."

“The celebration felt unusual, as I’ve experienced more adrenaline in other races where I finished second or third. Today, it was more about feeling emotional than an adrenaline rush.”

Marquez acknowledged feeling some pressure to secure a win in the Grand Prix after leading in every session except for the rainy Sunday morning Warm Up.

"I felt a lot of pressure today," he remarked. "You could see during the Sprint yesterday that I wasn't having fun because I was aware of how crucial today was and recognized the significant chance I had."

"For that reason, I made an effort to stay focused. When you have the speed, it appears that you can handle the situation well, showing consistency and intelligence. However, without that speed, managing the situation becomes extremely challenging."

"Let's aim to improve our speed in the upcoming races and try to stay competitive with the leading racers."

Having secured the win, Marquez places it on par with his 2021 German Grand Prix victory, marking his initial triumph following an arm injury at the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix.

“I consider it to be on the same level as 2021 in Germany,” Marquez stated.

"When the team faces numerous injuries and challenging times, the significance of each win becomes greater."

"Although I've won 60 times, those two victories, along with my first one in MotoGP, hold the most significance because they boost your confidence in a unique way and provide an additional sense of assurance."

"I hadn't felt well for a long time, and this weekend's laps were brief. I was just riding effortlessly, staying in the flow, but I made sure to stay very focused to avoid any errors."

Despite this being Marquez’s 12th race weekend with the Gresini Ducati squad, he mentioned that he had believed in the possibility of winning ever since he first tried out the Desmosedici during the Valencia test at the close of 2023.

During the Valencia test, Marquez acknowledged that a race victory was imminent. He recognized that they would have their chances to win. However, contending for the championship requires continued efforts.

"However, during my time in Valencia, I began to realize that it was just a matter of time before it happened."

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