Marquez ‘doesn’t understand’ Portimao MotoGP practice speed

Marquez made his long-awaited comeback on Friday at the Algarve International Circuit, having sat out the 2020 season after breaking his right arm badly in the season-opening Spanish GP at Jerez.

Third-fastest on a drying track in FP1, Marquez bagged himself a provisional Q2 place after ending FP2 sixth quickest with a lap just 0.473s off pacesetter Francesco Bagnaia's Ducati.

Marquez explained that his arm felt “tired” in FP2, but while his physical condition remains a question mark going forward, he says he went “better than expected”.

“It was a great day, a great feeling and honestly speaking I go out on the first run – the track was not so good, but immediately I felt good on the bike,” he said.

“In the morning, in terms of feeling I felt better than in the afternoon because I was fresh. The arm was fresh and I had power.

“Then already in the afternoon I struggled a little bit more to warm up the arm and I start to feel the arm was a little bit more tired. Apart from that, we are in a much better situation than what we expected before the weekend.

“I don’t know how, because I don’t understand what’s going on. I’m just riding the bike, trying to follow my way.

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“The lap times are coming; it’s not the most important thing, but they are coming in a good way.

“But it’s true the main question mark for me – the speed is there – so it’s about how the arm will react during the weekend when I get up tomorrow.”

Marquez’s final lap in FP2 on soft tyres was spectacular, the Honda rider saving a big moment on the way into Turn 7.

When asked by Autosport to explain that moment, Marquez said: “The last lap was a little bit crazy, I didn’t like the last lap, but I had a nice save.

“But it’s my riding style, I don’t know. It’s true with the new tyre I’m struggling a little bit more than with the used tyre.

“[On the used tyre] the bike becomes softer, the lap times are slower and I feel much more comfortable.

“But with new tyres everything is more stiff, and specifically in that corner – I think it was Turns 6 and 7, that change of direction – my head said it was time to go in on Turn 7, but the body didn’t follow what I wanted.

“I just slid a little bit, was a save but I created the slide to finish the turn because was the last lap and I didn’t give up the lap.

“Things [like] that of course with more laps on the track I will improve.”

Marquez added that he still doesn’t have a target in mind for the race on Sunday, as it will all depend on how his arm reacts over the rest of the weekend.