Marc Marquez expressed satisfaction with his consecutive MotoGP podium finishes in the sprint format, but the eight-time world champion is hungry for greater success at COTA.
Marc Marquez secured a comfortable sprint podium by clinching second place ahead of championship leader Jorge Martin at the Americas MotoGP in COTA.
However, the seven-time victor at the Texan circuit was unable to challenge Maverick Vinales, who led every lap of the sprint.
Struggling to match Vinales’ pace earlier in qualifying, Marquez acknowledged the significance of his performance prior to the sprint.
“The qualifying session is crucial during the weekend, and starting on the front row will make it a bit easier to challenge the top contenders,” Marquez stated after securing third place in Q2.
“Yesterday feels like a distant memory, and today we closed the gap a bit. However, there are still some aspects from FP2 that we need to understand. Hopefully, they will improve our rhythm and race pace.
“I’m feeling more and more confident, and my performance is improving throughout the weekend.”
In the sprint race, Marquez initially managed to keep up with Vinales, but a new fastest lap of the race on lap three from the Aprilia rider saw Marquez lose ground.
The former Honda rider found himself under pressure from Pedro Acosta and Martin, to the extent that Acosta attempted to make a move on lap six.
Marquez successfully fended off Acosta’s attack and then showcased impressive speed to leave Martin behind after Martin had overtaken Acosta on the same lap.
Reflecting on the battle with Acosta and Martin, Marquez commented, “It was tougher than I anticipated. I had a strong first and second lap, but then I started to feel less comfortable.
“Eventually, I decided to bide my time at the front of the group. When Pedro made his move, I thought, ‘now is the moment.’
“That decision allowed me to clock a lap half a second faster and create a gap.
“However, we need to analyze where we can make improvements for tomorrow to challenge Vinales.”
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