Marc Márquez has stated that, despite having returned to competition in optimal physical condition, he does not have the necessary pace to attack during the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez. The Ducati rider has had a complicated start to the weekend and has acknowledged that he cannot compete with the best.
After a month off the track to recover from injuries sustained during the previous season, Márquez hoped to resume his dominant position in the championship. However, on the first day of practice, he was unable to match the times of his brand teammates, Alex Márquez and Fabio di Giannantonio.
Friday’s session was difficult, and Márquez was close to being relegated to Q1 (qualifying 1) until he achieved a fourth place at the end thanks to a good time on soft tires.
In statements to the media, the reigning world champion said he hopes to improve during the night and, while a podium position seems distant, he believes he can make strides. “It wasn’t a good day, nor a bad day. Just a standard workday. Now I’m in the 4-5-6 range in pace and lap time,” he commented.
The rider was clear about his limitations: “Right now, I don’t have the potential to attack. I can only survive. It’s evident that we need to keep working throughout the weekend to improve and have some chance to shine in the race. Right now, we are far from that.”
Ducati’s competition looked strong, with Alex Márquez dominating practice from the previous edition and brands like Aprilia fighting to stay competitive. Márquez ended the day half a second slower than his brother, as well as behind di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi from Aprilia.
The rider attributed his lack of speed to his own difficulties rather than technical problems. “At the moment I’m a bit slower than the others. We’re working to improve the weak points that cost me more on this circuit,” he explained.
Furthermore, during qualifying, he felt he struggled more with new tires. “Little by little we’re getting closer, but it’s true that in a single lap is where I struggle the most. With used tires, everything evens out a bit, but you can’t recover what you’ve already lost with new tires,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
