Marc Marquez not rattled by Yamaha and Jorge Lorenzo's progress
Marc Marquez insists Yamaha's seamless gearbox will not be a significant game-changer in the 2013 MotoGP title race despite the dominant nature of Jorge Lorenzo's victory at Misano
The rookie championship leader said his own mistakes, coupled with Lorenzo's excellent early pace, had allowed the Yamaha to escape.
And while he conceded that both Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi appeared to be more competitive due to the new gearbox, Marquez insists he is not concerned Yamaha could suddenly jump ahead of Honda in the pecking order.
Asked if he was worried about Yamaha's apparent upturn, Marquez said: "No - sure the seamless is some advantage, some improvement, but for me it is OK.
"I feel good with Honda, I feel strong. [Even if Yamaha has the] seamless we can be there.
"Maybe we were ready to fight for victory but I did too many mistakes - my first was at the start, my second when I ran wide and the last when I lost time [at Turn 8].
"I recovered my feeling and tried to do my best, closed the gap to Dani [Pedrosa] and had a nice fight and tried to close to Jorge but saw it was too much risk.
"Without those mistakes sure we can be a little bit closer, but Jorge was stronger than us, especially in the first five laps. We need to congratulate him."
Marquez insisted that he will continue to attack over the remaining five races, but acknowledged that his current 34-point cushion will enable him to seal a rookie title even if Lorenzo wins the final five races.
"Thirty-four points is a good distance but we try and keep the same mentality," Marquez said. "For me it will be the same; I will be the same Marc and push like now.
"In the end though we did our job: Jorge did a perfect race, and we finished second. He recovered five points."
Previous article
Jorge Lorenzo not daunted by Marc Marquez's big MotoGP lead
Next article
Marc Marquez tops MotoGP test at Misano ahead of Jorge Lorenzo
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Drivers | Jorge Lorenzo , Marc Marquez |
| Author | Sam Tremayne |
Marc Marquez is back
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
Marc Márquez's first ride after his injury
Marc Marquez continues his recovery
What does Marc Marquez have to do to get back to his best?
Following his resounding MotoGP return with a seventh place finish in Portugal, Marc Marquez now must work to rediscover his best form before turning his attention towards results-based targets
How Yamaha’s rookie-spec MotoGP star is taking charge
Fabio Quartararo is on a roll in 2021, having stormed to victory at a venue where he last year served up one of his worst races. Contrasting Portuguese GPs for Yamaha’s factory duo make it hard to understand just how good its 2021 MotoGP bike is, but the Portimao weekend has revealed one key improvement compared to 2020
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come
Where does Honda's new MotoGP signing sit ahead of its king's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Has Yamaha banished its demons with its 2021 MotoGP bike?
Against the expected run of play at Qatar's Losail circuit, both Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo carved through a resolute Ducati defence to secure back-to-back MotoGP wins for the Japanese marque. After a difficult 2020, it appears that Yamaha has swaggered back into championship contention
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice
