Marc Marquez’s Spectacular Rise from 14th to 2nd in Catalan MotoGP Sprint Despite Setback

Marc Marquez Climbs from 14th to 2nd: “Despite missing a wing, my performance was strong”

Marc Marquez: “Aleix represents one extreme, Pedro the opposite, and I find myself somewhere between.”

Marc Marquez outdid his performance at Le Mans by climbing from a 14th-place start to finish second in the Catalan MotoGP Sprint.

Despite an early collision with Jack Miller that resulted in the loss of a winglet, he managed to accomplish it.

Similar to Aprilia's victor Aleix Espargaro, Marquez gained advantages due to errors made by competitors up front, with Raul Fernandez, Brad Binder, and finally, on the last lap, Francesco Bagnaia all suffering falls from the lead position.

Yet, it proved to be an impressive comeback for a competitor who found himself ranked beyond the tenth position on Friday and was unable to advance beyond the first qualifying round, facing difficulties in gaining pace with fresh tires.

"Marquez mentioned significant adjustments were made to the bike configuration. He highlighted the advantage of having quick Ducati riders in the team, noting that there are occasions they evaluate and align with his approach. This instance involved assessing their current position in comparison to that of their competitors."

We headed that way and I began to feel more at ease.

"The issue in the first quarter stemmed from it being my initial experience with that particular bike configuration, which was quite distinct. However, as the race progressed, I maintained my pace and learned how to handle the bike effectively."

"The shift was significant and came at a late stage since starting tomorrow, the 14th, we'll be switching to using the medium rear tyre instead of the soft one. We'll have to explore how to handle this adjustment."

Marquez will also aim to maintain all of his wings in perfect condition.

"Today promises to be a fascinating evaluation for Gigi and his crew," Marquez said with a smile. "I managed to ride quite well despite missing a wing!"

"Indeed, the balance of the bike was altered, but adapting to changing conditions is one of my strengths. However, there's still room for improvement when it comes to quick laps. Yet, in terms of race pace, I'm nearly on par with Martin and Bagnaia."

The struggles of #93 in the time-attack were highlighted as he failed to advance beyond the first qualifying round, even with the assistance of a slipstream from his younger brother and Gresini teammate, Alex.

"He mentioned, 'The gap between my performance with used and new tyres is less significant compared to others.' He continued, 'In today's Q1, it was the same scenario. I was behind Alex. He mentioned yesterday that anyone willing to shadow him in Q1 could do so since he had nothing at risk.'"

"He mentioned that maai-allcreator.com">king it to the second quarter would be crucial for the team. Yet, despite this, we failed to advance."

Marquez secured second place in the Sprint, finishing just 0.892 seconds after Espargaro, thanks to a final-lap overtaking maneuver on newcomer Pedro Acosta.

"His approach to riding stands out. Aleix is on one end of the spectrum, Pedro on the opposite, and I find myself somewhere between them," Marquez shared. "The speed at which he enters and navigates corners is incredibly rapid. It's quite remarkable."

"It's unclear to me the level of danger he was exposing himself to, given his remarkable speed in that zone. However, he's significantly pushing his physical limits. His pace was impressive on a track where that particular style of riding typically poses challenges."

"He was moving at an impressive pace, which caught my eye. I attempted to mimic his approach for a few laps, but it felt too risky, so I reverted to my own technique."

Heading into Sunday's grand prix, Marquez is positioned as the closest competitor to Martin in the world championship race, trailing by 37 points. Martin, who rides for Pramac Ducati and qualified seventh, finished fourth in Saturday's race.

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