Marc Márquez will have to go through the first qualifying session at the Catalunya MotoGP Grand Prix, marking the second consecutive time this has happened. The Gresini rider didn’t have the best feelings in this afternoon’s practice, finishing in 13th place.
The eight-time world champion admitted that he expected to have a tough time in Barcelona: ‘We tried to avoid it, of course, but we expected to have difficulties here in Barcelona. We had fewer difficulties than we expected because in race pace and with the medium tire, I felt good. But it’s true that in the attack on the clock, we missed out on Q2 by just a tenth. But tomorrow I will be in the nightmare session which is Q1‘.
Regarding what is causing him the most difficulties, Márquez explained: ‘Basically, I’m having some difficulties in the entry phase, that’s where I still don’t feel 100 percent comfortable. One of my strongest points is braking, and here it’s one of my weaknesses. So, we need to understand the bike’s balance well‘.
Asked whether he needs to improve his riding style or the bike for Saturday, the Spanish rider mentioned that it’s both aspects: ‘Both, I would say. Of course, my style is special and works on most tracks. But there are three or four tracks on the calendar where it works less. The good thing is that it’s only three or four tracks. But we need to understand well tomorrow. This morning I felt pretty good right from the start. But this afternoon for some reason, from the first set of laps, I didn’t feel as good. But this morning the riding style was working well. So, we need to work on both aspects‘.
