Qatar GP, Marquez: “Bet on me for the title, I'm ready to risk like before”

If anyone was thinking that two difficult years might be enough to snuff out the fire inside Marc Marquez, they were forced to think again today. The pre-race press conference in Qatar was something of a “Marquez show”, which ended with the Spaniard betting on himself for the title: “I’d bet on me even if I were injured”, he commented, “but I’m not now. Over the years, I’ve learned how to deal with injury. I know I’ll hurt myself again in the future, but I’ll approach it differently. That has changed, but not my riding style. When I’m 100% again, I’ll take risks as I’ve always done".

You’ve recently wanted to show people the difficult moments in the life of a sportperson. How has that been?

“I took part in this Spanish talk show for the tenth time, a show I’d only been on after winning a title while this time I wanted to be there after my injuries too, to show that the life of a sportsperson also has its difficult moments. Up until 2020, I only experienced the good side of a rider’s career and then, for the next two years, only the bad. I’ve realised that you have to fight to win on track and, at the same time, find time for the other important things in life”.

Welcome back to Qatar. What can we expect from you?

“I’m pleased to be here, as simply being here means this year’s getting off to a better start than last season. Testing was important and, especially since Mandalika, I’ve taken a good step forward physically. I don’t know if I’ll be able to fight to win, we’ll see over the weekend…. Winning would be a dream, as well as a sign that we are already stronger than our expectations”.

Marquez: "The 2021 Honda was difficult for everyone, but I won three races"

The Honda has really come on, now less tailored to you specifically. What do you think?

“The new bike suits more riding styles. With the 2021 version, everyone struggled but I won three races, I sign that the bike nevertheless had many strengths. In any case, Honda is a manufacturer that has to be in the title fight, regardless of the rider, and the new bike helps everyone to be quicker, although it takes specific work to find those last tenths. To be honest, it’s almost as if I’ve changed manufacturer in terms of the modifications made. There’ve been modifications over the years, but now the bike’s entire character has changed. It’s true that the bike is now less centred around the front, but I was already able to bring it closer to my riding style in Indonesia”.

Who do you consider your main rivals for the title?

“It’s hard to say. During testing, all the riders were close, but not for the first time. We need to wait for the first races to have more information. This level playing field definitely makes things more interesting for the spectators”.

This will be the first year without Rossi. What do you think?

“Over the last year, I didn’t pay too much attention to him, as I was watching the fast guys like Bagnaia and Mir, but MotoGP has definitely lost an icon. The championship goes on anyway, and I think it will be a great season”.

Another topic is safety. Do you think that, with the starting procedure for example, things are going too far?

“In my opinion, in the near future we’ll be removing the lowering devices and the rest. The manufacturers understandably want continual progress, but this doesn’t make for a show. When I debuted in MotoGP for example, there were no wings, which was better for the show, but at the same time it was easier to make mistakes. Now it’s the opposite”.

Translated by Heather Watson

Qatar GP, Dovizioso: “Not being at the centre of attention is great”