Marc Marquez after MotoGP Sepang test: “Don’t infect engineers with ideas - I was not asking…”
Marquez was 10th-fastest on Sunday, the final day of the preseason test in Malaysia, wherᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe he whittled down from four bikes to his preferred one but insisted that his team must make substantial progress be☂fore he can fight for the championship.
He insisted that his physical condition꧟ is far better than the past two preseasons - during his injury-ravaged two year spell - but has called on Honda to use the upcoming Portimao test to finalise any remaining issues.
“A new technical manager arrᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚived at HRC, and he wants to understand many things about concept,” Ma𓄧rquez explained on Sunday.
“I don’t know why but they want to know. They havꦚe their reason. I was not asking, I was just riding.
“This makes life very difficult for a rider at a test! The p▨erson at Honda with the most experience is me, so they chose me to try all these experimental things.
“The bike balance was different. It was much more physical. But Iꦬ hope it was useful for them💛.
“Sometimes as 𒉰a rider it is important to give feedback. But only feedback. Don’t in🌜fect the engineers with your ideas about chassis, concept, and all these things.
“When I was riding well the lap times were not bad, but still far from the top ꦏfive guys.
“I am happier about my physical condition 🥀than the bike.”
Marquez is seeking a seventh premier class championship this yea💝r, hoping his injury troubles are a thing of the past.
He had criticised the prototype Repsol Honda ma✤chin♑ery at the postseason Valencia test last year but has explained their progress in Sepang.
“Always you want more, more, more,” he said. “But I must 💦congratulate the team for organising in a very good way.
“Physically I feel really good and, for me, this is the mo🎉st important thing. I understand when I want to be fast, when I want to be slower.
“In the past two years this was impossi🌺ble because my physical conditi⛦on was not good.
“We started the 💙test with four bikes, then three bikes, today two bikes, and in the afternoonജ just one bike. I have decided ‘this is the bike’.
“But it isn’t the bike I need to win the championship. I need aওnother step.
“I felt more potential with one bike than the other, to do different things. From a riding 🥀style, the one that I chose, I feel better w🧸ith.”
The Portimao test is the final opportunity for Marquez and Honda to iron out their problems before his assault on the cha💯mpionship begins ag✤ain.
“We don’t have time to bring three bikes,” Marquez said about the Portimao test. “It is important to choosꦐe one direction, one bike.
“It is the same as the V🅠alencia bike, same concept, same problems. Now is the time to fix problems. I don’t know how. I just give my comments.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American 🅷sports, to football, to F1.
