Marc Marquez Faces Rally-Style Challenge Against Jorge Martin in Australian MotoGP

Marc Marquez Expresses Concerns Over Speed if Australian MotoGP Becomes "Rally-Like"

Gresini Racer Shares Conflicting Feelings About Competing Against Jorge Martin on Sunday

Marc Marquez is confident he can compete against Jorge Martin in the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix on Sunday. However, he feels this will not be possible if the race resembles a "rally race".

On Friday at Phillip Island, Marquez led the sessions, but he believed that the GP24s would improve by Saturday after having the chance to review the practice data.

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Martin excelled in a challenging qualifying session to secure the pole position, placing ahead of Marquez. In the sprint, he was unbeatable, ultimately finishing 1.5 seconds ahead of the Gresini rider, even after slowing down in the final laps.

Marquez faced difficulties in his race after he misjudged Martin's braking point at Turn 1 during the first lap. This error caused the eight-time world champion to veer off course, leaving him to battle his way back from eighth position.

Before the race today, he mentioned to motogp.com, "I thought the first lap would be straightforward, making the rest of the race less challenging."

"Right away at the first turn, I made an error. I misjudged how Martin applied the brakes."

"He did indeed brake very forcefully, but that's necessary to deactivate the front and rear mechanisms following the start."

"That minor error, combined with the wind, caused me to lose several positions. After that, I focused intently and made an effort to start strong on that lap without overextending myself, as it's easy to go too far and make additional mistakes."

"Therefore, I concentrated on securing second place. Upon reaching that spot, I attempted to accelerate for a couple of laps, but noticed that Martin responded effectively. We will have another chance tomorrow."

Marquez is confident he can compete against Martin this Sunday, but is concerned that a more extended 'rally race' format might benefit the Pramac rider more than himself.

"Perhaps, but perhaps not," he responded when questioned about his ability to challenge Martin in the grand prix.

"In my opinion, yes, but to be completely honest, if we were to have a 'rally race' tomorrow where everyone competes individually, he would be quicker than I am."

"Let's aim to nail our first lap and focus on comprehending the wind conditions and track temperature. The reason is that the wind direction here can shift, which in turn affects how we need to ride."

When it comes to selecting tires for the upcoming grand prix, Marquez is uncertain about his strategy. He requires information from Michelin regarding any possible occurrence of blistering.

"In the current sprint, opting for the soft rear tire was the right choice," he stated.

"We have to slice the tire to analyze its wear. Michelin must update the teams about the well-known blistering phenomenon, which usually occurs with new asphalt."

"Let's take a look. I believe the choice will be between a soft rear tire and a medium one, but this decision is vital. If the tire wears out, you could end up being one or two seconds slower."

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