Marc Marquez says he no longer feels the need to ‘prove’ anything in MotoGP, even after a crash at the Spanish Grand Prix that put another title run further out of reach.
The gap to championship leader Marco Bezzecchi is now 44 points, and Marquez has never come back from a deficit larger than 37 during his career.
After losing the lead to his brother Alex, the Ducati rider found himself running second and felt confident about holding onto a podium position. Instead, it was Bezzecchi who ended up in P2, tightening his grip on the championship after round four.
Marc Marquez says he doesn’t feel ‘additional pressure’
Speaking to outlets including Speedweek, Marquez said he can’t yet ride Ducati’s GP26 naturally. Last year, he was the only rider who consistently excelled on the GP25.
Marquez has already taken a knock at Austin after running into Fabio Di Giannantonio, and while he managed to win the Jerez Sprint, it came despite another crash. Even so, he doesn’t see pressure as an issue.
There’s a sense that Marquez’s career is complete after he won last year’s championship, completing his comeback from four arm surgeries. Anything he achieves from here could be considered a bonus.
“Let’s see if I can improve my feeling in Monday’s test,” he said. “It’s crucial how I can ride the bike. Last year I had a good riding position and everything came easily to me, that’s not the case at the moment.
“I’m also crashing too much. Do I feel any additional pressure because of that? No! I don’t have anything to prove to anyone anymore.”
Marc Marquez believes Ducati outperformed Aprilia at the Spanish Grand Prix
Ducati didn’t score any points with Francesco Bagnaia retiring due to mechanical issues, but Alex Marquez’s victory offered a boost. For the first time this year, there was a genuine feeling they were ahead of Aprilia.
Marquez admits he needs to ride better but also hopes Ducati can help improve his front-end feel during the upcoming test.
“Ducati is working hard, and we were closer to Aprilia in this race,” he said. “I would even say we were better because a Ducati rider won. It’s important that they never give up and keep the pressure on until the end.
“Ducati has one of the best bikes on the grid, if not the best. I simply need to ride better. If I can get a bit more feel for the front tyre without losing speed, it’s always about finding a compromise. If the lap time is right, the solutions are good.”
VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio remains Ducati’s highest-ranked rider in the standings with 71 points, placing him third overall behind both Aprilia riders.
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