The upcoming Americas GP at Austin is an important event for Marc Marquez, a real specialist around the Texan track at which he won every race between 2013 and 2018. The Spaniard has clear ideas about what to expect: “It will definitely be a very different race to Misano and I plan to enjoy myself as much as possible at what is one of my favourite tracks. Austin has a lot of changes of direction and hard braking into left-hand turns, which are my strong point, so if I feel comfortable, the results will come”.

Marquez: “It’s a difficult time for the motorcycle world”

The eight-time champion went on to talk about the recent passing of Dean Berta Viñales and what the young rider’s death represents: “Firstly I want to say that my thoughts are with Maverick and his family at this difficult time. It’s been very difficult for the motorcycling world to experience the losses that we have this year, but we know this is a dangerous sport. I understand and respect his decision not to race and I would probably have done the same in his position”.

“When I read Michel Fabrizio’s comments and the fact he blames me for the accidents young riders are suffering, I was shocked as to how someone from our world could say such a thing at this delicate moment. I don’t intend to respond and prefer to go on focusing on what I’m doing, because there’s no point wasting time on people like that”, said a blunt Marc.

“Everyone’s working hard on the safety of the circuits, our gear and everything else, which is what counts right now. Another step forward could be to reduce the number of warnings before giving a rider a penalty, so that riders are forced to exit the track less and stay within precise limits, which would mean going slower through certain sections”, adds number 93.

“The new Honda? A big step forward”

Before Austin came the test at Misano, where Honda brought a revolutionised bike in preparation for 2022: “The new bike is incredible. It’s a big step forward in all the areas where we’ve been having problems, it has more grip and is easier to handle. Both me and Pol were excited after testing it”.

Lastly, a word about Quartararo and Bagnaia, the stars of this year’s MotoGP: “Both Fabio and Pecco are very fast, they’re the best in the championship right now. Both are at a very high level, but Quartararo has a significant points advantage and can afford a mistake, unlike Bagnaia who needs to get everything right from now until the end of the season”.

Translated by Heather Watson

AmericasGP: Marquez beats Jett Lawrence and there's already talk of a rematch