Marc Marquez’s Austrian GP What-If: Analyzing the Impact of Turn 1 Chaos on a Potential Podium Finish

What position might Marc Marquez have achieved if not for the chaos at Turn 1 in the Austrian MotoGP?

'Marquez managed an impressive recovery to fourth place, leaving us to wonder about what might have happened otherwise.'

Thirteen spots behind following his starting grid device issues and an early collision with Franco Morbidelli at the Austrian MotoGP on Sunday, Marc Marquez's recovery to a fourth-place finish was the highlight in an otherwise uneventful race.

Where could the Gresini Ducati competitor, who secured a starting position in the front row and referred to the Red Bull Ring event as one of his top performances, have ended up if he had steered clear of the initial commotion?

In the most recent episode of the Crash.net MotoGP podcast, presenter Jordan Moreland remarked:

Marquez was performing well in the Sprint, holding the second position and had managed to reduce Bagnaia's lead to approximately 1.1 seconds before he encountered an error and crashed.

On Sunday, there was pre-race turmoil, followed by a collision with Morbidelli, causing him to fall back to 13th position.

"He managed an impressive recovery to fourth place, and it really highlights a tale of potential, given his speed seemed quite promising whenever he found himself in open space. He was essentially on par with Bagnaia's performance."

MotoGP correspondent Lewis Duncan commented, "It was regrettable. He performed impressively, particularly given the situation, as his tyre pressures were likely adjusted for another race scenario.

"He was struggling to progress, presumably on tyres significantly overinflated. Moreover, having already experienced a crash in the Sprint, it's likely that incident was lingering in his thoughts."

"I believe Marc's competition appeared more closely contested than it might have seemed on TV."

"It's challenging to speculate what the outcome might have been if not for the incident at Turn 1. He consistently maintained the fourth fastest pace, although it's important to note that this included a significant amount of passing maneuvers."

"It's challenging to speculate on Marquez's potential position. He likely might have been in contention with Bastianini for a spot on the podium, given their comparable speeds. However, whether he could have closed the distance remains uncertain."

"Clearly, Marc let a chance slip by, yet his journey to fourth place stands out as one of his top performances this season."

"Moreland mentioned that it was clear he was slightly irritated for not securing two podium finishes."

"He mentioned the Catalunya race, where despite a challenging weekend, he managed to secure second place in the Sprint and a third-place finish in the Grand Prix. Conversely, while he had a successful weekend in Austria, he departed without any rewards."

"Marquez's performance this season appears to be quite unpredictable."

Crash.net's MotoGP chief, Pete McLaren, responded: “In my opinion, he should gamble and aim for the top spot if an opportunity arises with his GP23. Marquez might have opted for a secure second position in the Sprint, yet he realized there was a possibility to overtake Bagnaia and seized it.

"Though it didn't lead to victory, what does another runner-up finish in a Sprint mean to him anyway?"

The primary Grand Prix stands out as particularly agonizing, especially since it was among his most impressive weekends, and it would have been fascinating to observe his performance had he been among the top 3 contenders from the outset.

"However, I firmly believe he didn't intentionally squander what would have been a certain first victory for Ducati on Sunday. To give it context: Pecco was outstandingly in a league of his own, Martin is also performing exceptionally well, and Bastianini stands out as another formidable competitor on the GP24."

"Hence, I don't perceive it as a squandered win for Marquez, yet undeniably, it was a lost chance – likely, according to Lewis, to contend with Bastianini for the last spot on the podium. Perhaps even a slightly improved outcome was possible, who can say."

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