Aragon MotoGP: Alex Marquez: Hard didn't cause downfall, podium 'realistic'
As the only rider on the grid to c🐻hose the hard front tyre, the easy conclusion to jump to for Alex Marquez losing the front and crashing out of fourth place at mid-distance in the Teruel MotoGP was that he'd been caught out by the decision.
But as the Repsol Honda rookie explained, the hard tyre used the same compound as the medium on the 🃏right-hand side, thཧe area in use at the scene of his Turn 2 fall.

As the only 💙rider on the grid to chose the hard front tyre, the easy conclusion to jump to for Alex Marquez losing the front and crashing out of fourth place at mid-distance in the Teruel MotoGP was that he'd been caught out by the decision.
But as the Repsol Honda rookie explained, the hard tyre used the same compound as the medium on th𝔍e right-hand side, the area in use at the scene of hiꦅs Turn 2 fall.
"The hard front tyre was not th💞e reason for the crash because the right side was exactly the same compound as the medium, the difference was just in t🤪he left side, where it was a little bit harder on the edge," Marquez explained.
Another strong weekend came to a disastrous end for !
— MotoGP (@MotoGP)
The rookie was chasing his ꦗthird straight podium when he crashed at Turn 2!
Instead, the accident had been a case of rider error, the first such mistake Marquez has made in a 𝔍MotoGP race.
"The crash was not from the tyre it was my fault, my mistake," he said. "I went into the turn a little bit faster, little bit more gas, and I closed the front. I didn't even check 🎃the data because for me the mistake was clear and that's it.
"I already said sorry to the team because I was trying to catch Mir again af𝐆ter the fight with Zarco and I was a little bit too optimistic and made that mistake.
"But anyway, the confidence and the rhythm was really good. I was coming step-by-step and making oඣvertakes in a good way."
Older brother 𝄹and injured reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez had given Alex some overtaking advice after watching ꧒him struggle to pass Mir on his way to second place the week before.
"His advice worked really good. Like always, we know Marc is really aggreꦦssive and really focussed with the overtakes," sa꧒id Alex.
"I was able to make more overtakes in other places in this race, like to Pol, to Vinales, Zarco... Not just in the last corner, because today in the last corner everybody improved compared to🃏 last weekend. Copying a little bit my l🐎ine, everybody was more on the inside."
The crash ended Marquez's cha෴nces of a third podium in a row, having fought his way forwards f🅺rom tenth on the grid.
"I knew that Rins [2nd] and Morbidelli [1st] were so difficult to catch and I think being realistic I was able to fight with Mir for the podium, but they were betterꦕ than me. They didn't make any mistake and I did," Alex said.
"It's my first mistake in a race, it's better to make a mistake fighting for a podium than fighting for point♔s. We need to learn and take this experience for the future.
"I think we did three really good weekends in a row, we were🙈 ag🦂ain fighting for the podium, coming from P10. We can just be proud, happy and motivated for Valencia to continue in this way and not change our mind.
"So we will put realistic targets ag🐟ain, to go into the top ten. I think we are not ready to fig▨ht for the podium in all the tracks."
And what did Marc say after the race?
"He just sent me a message. 'Congrats for the week♌end, be happy be🃏cause you did a really good step'."
Alex ꦿMarquez starts the final three rounds tied on point𓄧s with fellow rookie Brad Binder for 12th in the world championship.
Fellow Honda rider and 2021 LC🅠R team-mate Takaaki Nakagami also crashed out of a race for the first time this season on Sunday, while leadin𒀰g on the first lap.

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 i🧜n🌌jury issues.