Marc Marquez Finds His Groove in Austria: From Struggling to Top Five Contender

Marc Marquez: "This Friday ranks among my top performances, yet there's still progress to be made."

Marc Marquez: "In the previous races, it seemed I was lagging by two steps, but now, it's reduced to just one."

Marc Marquez made a significant recovery from a chaotic first practice session, experiencing one of his most successful Fridays of the MotoGP season during the event in Austria.

The Gresini team member, sensing he's been trailing behind in recent competitions, aimed for a flawless performance at the Red Bull Ring this time around.

Marquez's 18th place in the morning time trials was misleading, as his rank didn't reflect his true pace. This was due to several of his quicker laps being invalidated, as well as his comfort level with the motorcycle.

Marquez impressively climbed the rankings to take the top spot in the afternoon session, securing 4th place and automatic entry into Qualifying 2.

"During the first practice session, I felt good because I was in tune with the bike. However, numerous yellow and red flags were shown, and at times, I ended up in the run-off area, which led to many of my laps being invalidated," Marquez explained to MotoGP.com.

"However, as the afternoon progressed, we began on a positive note, and crucially, I'm feeling significantly more at ease with the foundation on this track."

This implies that gradually, my confidence increases as my connection with the bike improves.

"It appears we've positioned ourselves within the leading group of four to five, and moving forward, securing a spot in the top six during the qualifiers will be crucial."

He acknowledged, "This was indeed one of the most outstanding Fridays of the season. It's accurate to say that Sachsenring was favorable, but regrettably, I experienced a significant crash in the afternoon.

"Today turned out to be an excellent Friday. I mentioned earlier that I had to tackle FP1 differently since I've experienced some unexplained crashes in the past."

"Today, we tried a new approach and the adjustments made to the bike significantly improved its performance, so kudos to the team for their excellent work."

"Even though it's just Friday, to be frank, during the recent races, I sensed I was lagging behind the rest by two steps, and now, I'm trailing by just one step."

"Thus, it's essential to continue focusing on the minor aspects, yet the final stage poses the greatest challenge!"

Observing his competitors, Marquez noted: "Pecco, in particular, was incredibly quick. Martin too showed great speed, and Bastianini, despite being tenth, had a rapid race pace. Morbidelli also seems to be performing well.

"Alright, let's figure out if it's possible for us to confront them tomorrow."

Marquez enters Saturday's Sprint race ranked fourth in the world championship, trailing Bastianini, who has won twice at Silverstone, by 13 points.

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