MotoGP India: Marc Marquez: ‘Podium was a real chance’, explains Honda’s sudden speed

Marc Marquez finally had the pace to end his MotoGP podium drought in India, but a low-speed fall left him frustrated.
Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Fabio Quartararo, MotoGP race, Indian MotoGP, 24 September
Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Fabio Quartararo, MotoGP race, Indian MotoGP, 24 September

Third in the Saturday Sprint, Marquez was trying to keep in touch with the leading trio of ꧑Ducatis – Marco Bezzecchi, Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin - when he gotꦯ out offline into Turn 1, then tipped over.

Rej🗹oining 16th, Marquez recovered to 9th at the chequered flag. But with Bagnaia ✱crashing out and Martin suffering late-race dehydration issues, Marquez would have been well-placed for his first rostrum since Australia 2022.

“I'm a bit frustrated because today the podium was a real chanc🍸e,” Marquez told MotoGP.com. “It was a real chance, but with a lot of risk and it'⛦s what I did.

“When you try but there are three riders [ahead] that a🔜re faster than you. Bezzecchi, Martin and Pecco. I was taking too much r𝐆isk on those first laps. I went a bit wide on turn 1 and lost the front, was very close to saving it, but it was impossible.

“Then the most important thing is that I finished the race and did all tꩵhe laps. The pace was to be on the podium 🐼so this makes me happy.”

Marquez and Re𝓀psol Honda team-mate Joan Mir had bee🧸n competitive all weekend, why?

“This racetrack is very similar to Austin, a lot of stop and go, first gear corners. We saw in Austin𒅌 what Rins did. It's not exactly the same here, but it's💟 very similar and in those kinds of [slow] corners we are struggling less.

“Soꦡ let's see if in Japan we can continue in the same way.💞”

Next weekend’s Motegi round might also se✨e Marquez finally confirm his 2024 plans, after weeks of uncertainty over whether he will see out his Honda contract or make a sensational switch to Gresini Ducati.

For now, he’s giving no clues.

“An important weekend in Motegi, in many aspects. But yeah, it’s the Honda home circuit, so there wiꦫll be pressure there. The big boss is coming. So we will try to do our best on the race track.”

Quartararo, behiꦛnd Marquez 𝓡when he fell, went on to take third place. 

Mir finished in fifth,🦄 by far his best res๊ult of the season.

Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at💫 the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.

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