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Alex Marquez’s Resilient Performance at the Spanish Grand Prix
Alex Marquez has demonstrated remarkable resilience during the Spanish Grand Prix, especially after facing two separate crashes on Friday. The younger Marquez, who races for Gresini Ducati, showcased exceptional speed throughout the day at Jerez, even with a low-speed incident in the morning session and a more significant fall during the afternoon practice.
After falling while following his brother Marc into a fast right-hander at Pons, it was uncertain if Alex would be able to continue in the session. He spent considerable time recuperating in the Gresini motorhome, nursing an arm that had felt the brunt of his tumble through the gravel.
Surprisingly, he returned with just 16 minutes remaining, seizing the opportunity to push for a top spot in qualifying. Despite the setbacks, he proved to be one of the fastest riders, having set the fastest combined time during Free Practice 1 in the morning by leading in all four sectors. Given his recent struggles against his brother this season, sitting out was not an option for him.
In a thrilling finish to the session, Alex clocked a time of 1m35.991s, the first instance a MotoGP bike has gone below the 1m36s mark at the Jerez circuit. Notably, he achieved this time on medium tires, while many competitors were on softs. Gresini’s team manager, Michele Masini, commented on the difficult tire strategy imposed by the earlier crash, stating that their initial plan was disrupted.
Despite the potentially fortuitous timing of his fast lap due to a series of accidents later in the session that triggered yellow flags and hampered competitors’ timings, the quality of Alex’s performance was indisputable given the context.
However, Marquez remained critical of his day when addressing the media. Expressing disappointment, he noted the undesirable loss of crucial race preparation time across both practice sessions.
“The primary goal was to qualify for Q2, and we achieved that well,” he stated. “Still, I feel unsatisfied with the day. We didn’t complete the necessary work.”
Reflecting on his riding, he admitted to overconfidence: “I was pushing too hard without sensing the limit, which led to my mistakes. I’m frustrated because I failed to recognize the boundaries,” he added. His sentiments echoed those of another prominent Ducati rider, alluding to past misadventures in racing where excessive confidence resulted in crashing.
“The bike was too stable and too good,” he remarked, sharing the same viewpoint expressed by Bagnaia after a past incident in the 2023 season. “We need to manage that risk effectively because situations like today can have a significant impact on our championship standings.”
When prompted about the positives in his performance, Marquez conceded that there were indeed noteworthy aspects. “Yes, we set records and topped the timesheets during both sessions, which is what everyone aims for. But we didn’t undertake the fundamental work expected on a Friday, and that leaves a bittersweet feeling,” he observed. “However, we rebounded well. The best way to make amends to the team is to perform speedily, which I aimed to do.”
Following the crashes, Marquez confirmed he did not anticipate carrying any injuries into the weekend, although the second crash resulted in temporary numbness in his hands. “It was a fast and clean impact, but the gravel feels harsh at speeds of 200 km/h.” He explained the aftermath of his experiences: “While I didn’t feel my hands due to abrasions from the gravel, I’m largely fine now. Just a bit bruised, which is expected; my physical condition is quite good overall.”
Conclusion
As the weekend unfolds, Alex Marquez will look to translate his impressive speed into a strong performance in the race, aiming to close the gap with his brother in the championship standings while overcoming the challenges posed by his recent crashes.
Source
www.autosport.com