MotoGP Spain, Marquez: “When I’m no longer competitive I’ll stay at home”

Marc Marquez sets himself the same goal at Jerez that he had in Portugal: to continue to adapt to the Honda without overdoing it or compromising his physical condition. He has many great memories of the Andalusian track, but also one very bad one, from when he fell and hurt his arm last year.

Goals for the Jerez GP

“Portimao was a special weekend for me - said the Spaniard - in every way. Everything seems calmer here at Jerez, more like a normal weekend. My physical condition is similar to the last race, but I hope to ride better right from FP1 and the aim is to be consistent. I have good memories of this track, some bad ones too but more positives. My aim for the weekend? To ride well, clock up some miles on the Honda and find the right riding position. We know what my limit is and we know where we need to improve”.

“My position isn’t right”

The Honda rider talked more about the riding position he’s adopted since returning: “I’ve trained a little since Portimao, doing some gym work and cycling but still very light because my body was asking me to slow down. I’ve taken a lot of antibiotics recently and they’ve made me physically weaker, so when I stop with them things will be better. I watched the race back and my position on the bike isn’t right, especially through the right-hand turns, my elbow isn’t where it should be. It’s strange to say these things but I need to get some miles under my belt, I need time and to make many laps so that my condition improves. I also saw how everyone passed me at the start”.

The generational change

Marquez then spoke about young prodigy Pedro Acosta: “We’ve talked – he commented – and I have to say he’s riding really well and the results confirm that. I’ve told him to enjoy the moment and if he wins on Sunday, that’s good, but it’s also good if he finishes top ten. Aside from that, I congratulate him because he’s riding in an incredible way and I hope I’m still here when he comes to MotoGP”.

There’s been something of a generational handover in the championship: “There’s a new generation and that’s normal, life’s like that and so is sport. Many talents are moving up from the minor classes and more will come. Having said that, I still feel young and know that I can also learn from the new guys coming up. It’s not easy coming back after a year, some have changed their riding style. For now though, I still feel competitive but the time will come when I’ll decide to retire. When I’m no longer competitive I’ll stay at home”.

“I’ve turned a page since 2015...”

Lastly, the Vinales social media debacle. After the Portimao race, the Yamaha rider decided to cancel his Twitter account due to trolling from his followers: “Thanks to social media – he concluded – you can be close to fans and people, but there’s also a negative aspect when they touch on your personality. I don’t like the haters, you should have an ID card that shows who you are. So for this reason, I don’t read or use social media much. If there’s anything important, I have someone who tells me what to read. I’ve turned a page since 2015, I know social media is there, but I don’t spend too much time on it”.

Translated by Heather Watson

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