Valencia MotoGP: Marc Marquez takes risks, falls twice: 'I want to see if I have this fire inside'

Marc Marquez began the 2022 MotoGP season finale at Valencia as the leading non-Ducati rider in fourth place on the timesheets.
Marc Marquez, MotoGP, Valencia MotoGP, 4 November
Marc Marquez, MotoGP, Valencia MotoGP, 4 November

The Spaniard was fast from the start of morning practice on his way to second behind Fabio Quartararo in FP1, thꩵen was left just 0.173s from Luca Marini during the afternoon time attacks.

But Marquez was also c🍸learly pushing the l𝓀imits, suffering a fall in each session.

The fi🌸rst was a slow Turn 2𓆏 off in the morning, followed by a much faster lowside at Turn 1 in the afternoon.

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“The grip level was good, especially c🐬oming from Malaysia that was very poor for us. And with a higher grip level our bike is working better. But even like this [better grip] today I had some problems and I didn't feel the way to push,” explained Marquez.

“But it's the last race, a Spanish GP and I decided to take risks today. I crashed two times and I will take ri🎶sks tomorrow. Maybe I will crash again. And I will take risks on Sunday also because I want to finish in a good way.

“But in the end, I have what I have [with the bike] and I need to wait until Tuesday [test] to do, I hope, another𝄹 step.”

Valencia is now the last chance for Honda to avoid becoming 🌟the only man༒ufacturer not to win a MotoGP race during the 2022 season.

“I said to you yesterday, [our performance here] will be between Austr🍨alia [2nd] and Malaysia [7th] and at the moment we are 4th," 𒈔Marquez continued,

“We are there. I know that t꧟omorrow with a single fast lap it will be difficult to [qualify] in the front two rows. Maybe the target is to be on the third row.

“But we will see. As I s♍aid, I will take a risk because I want to do something more on my side.

“During all the [previous] races I was fast but alwa🌃ys trying to control everything. But at this race I want to see if I have this fir💝e inside me. And I have.

“Today I showed to myself that if I wan𝔉t, I can push, but I have what I have [with 🃏the bike]. I can do what I can do and no more.”

Marc Marquez, MotoGP, Valencia MotoGP, 4 November
Marc Marquez, MotoGP, Valencia MotoGP, 4 November

Speaking with a croaky voice, M🥂arquez explained: “I’m [feeling] destroyed!

“I [woke] up and I was sick. So I'm taking medicines aꦰnd tomorrow I hope to feel better and Sunday better again. But you n𒁃ever know.”

But there was more🐬 positive news about the ever-improving condition of his right arm.

“I'm happy becaus🐟e the target of my comeback was to improve my right arm and we improved a lot.

"Today I rode in a normal way an♎d it was long time ♉since I rode in a normal way.

“So 💫for that reason I pushed more and I crashed more. But I was riding very good.”

Despite missing six mid-season r🅺aces following his latest round of arm surgery, Marquez is twelfth in the world championship and the top🔜 Honda rider.

The next best RCV on Friday was the LCR machine of younger brother Alex 🐓Marqu♏ez, in 17th.

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