Marc Marquez faced a challenging day at Mandalika on Friday, crashing twice and finishing 11th, which prevented him from automatically advancing to Qualifying 2 for the first time this season. Despite recently securing the MotoGP world title, Marquez’s performance was hindered by two incidents on the track that affected his rhythm and confidence.
The initial accident was a minor lowside, causing no major harm, but the second crash was more serious. At the high-speed Turn 5, Marquez lost rear grip, resulting in a highside that forced him to hit the ground hard on his shoulder. This sequence of events disrupted his session and affected his overall pace for the day.
Impact of Two Crashes on Marquez’s Session
Marquez reflected on his tough day by saying,
“It’s not the best way to celebrate the title,”
highlighting the frustration he felt. After the second crash, he described his physical state as “stiff” and focused mainly on completing the session rather than pushing for a better time. He noted how a series of yellow flags and drop-off in tire performance further complicated his efforts during the final run.
He explained,
“Starting the final run, I was still inside Q2, but the problem is that we had three yellow flags in a row. And then on the fourth lap, the tyres already start to drop.”
Despite the difficulties, he emphasized caution with,
“But the priority was not to crash again because I didn’t have the feeling today. We will retry tomorrow.”
Technical Challenges with Stability Controls
The second crash occurred despite MotoGP’s recently introduced stability or slide control system, which is designed to prevent such accidents. However, adjustments to the system were necessary due to the stiffer rear tires used at Mandalika, reducing its effectiveness during Marquez’s fall.
Marquez pointed out,
“When the grip of the tyre is too low, then the controls cannot help you.”
He elaborated,
“When I started to pick up the bike, I started to lose on the side-slide, the grip. And on that side-slide it’s more difficult.”
Asked about the system’s failure to intervene during his highside, Marquez confirmed,
“Yeah, but at that moment, it didn’t work because the grip of the tyre was too low.”
He added that with different tires during other runs, such as a soft or medium compound, the control system performed well.
He expressed hope to improve his performance by stating,
“Let’s see if tomorrow we can work to try to improve our feeling with the bike because I’m not only losing on that acceleration, I’m also losing a lot on the brake points.”
Marquez’s Outlook Amidst Competition
With 14 Sprint race wins this season, Marquez set a realistic goal for the weekend, recognizing that Mandalika is not among his strongest tracks. He said,
“I started optimistically this weekend, but it’s not my circuit. I just want to pass this weekend and wait until Australia!”
Despite the setbacks, Marquez plans to continue pushing hard.
“Of course, I will try. Tomorrow I will start to push, and I can crash again, because I cannot go out to the track and just think not to crash,”
he remarked. Starting from 11th place presents a difficult challenge, especially with rivals like Bezzecchi, who has been performing impressively.
He acknowledged Bezzecchi’s speed, saying,
“Especially, it’s Bezzecchi [fastest for Aprilia] that is flying.”
Marquez emphasized that finishing in the top five would be a meaningful achievement this weekend:
“If we can finish in the top five, it will be a success.”
Looking Ahead to Qualifying and Upcoming Races
Prior to the Sprint race, Marquez will attempt to advance through Qualifying 1 alongside teammate Francesco Bagnaia and the VR46 Ducati team. Bagnaia, who recently won two races at Motegi, struggled initially, finishing 17th on Friday. Only Gresini GP24 riders Fermin Aldeguer and Alex Marquez managed direct entry to Qualifying 2.
Marquez prepared himself for stiff competition by stating,
“Q1 will be difficult to pass. A lot of fast riders there. Let’s see tomorrow morning where we are and what we can do.”
His teammate Bagnaia’s unexpected placement underscores the tight field as both riders aim to regain form ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
