Keith Huewen: Marc Marquez can win a race this season, Buriram his best chance?
After a wild return in Aragon where first lap incidents took place with both MotoGP series leader Fabio Quartararo and Takaaki Nakagami, Marquez produced a sensational ride on both Saturday and Sunday in order to claim his first pole in three years, before taking fourth during the Grand Prix.
Marquez, who was in fifth for much of the Japanese MotoGP, came through on Miguel Oliveira with three laps to go in what was his best performance of the season.
Speaking on the latest Crash.net MotoGP podcast, Keith Huewen acknowledged Jack Miller as the man of the moment following his dominant win at Motegi, although Marquez was a very close second.
"Jack Miller was the man of the meeting but a very close second on a Honda track where Honda haven’t had anything to really shout about and scream about in some time - Marquez setting pole position - what a day that was for Honda," said Huewen. "It was so exciting to see Marc Marquez in that position."
That wasn’t all as Huewen also went on to detail how tough Motegi is on the brakes, a track that was perfect in analysing how well Marquez has recovered from his right arm surgery.
The former Grand Prix racer added: "He [Marquez] was magnificent in Thailand [2019] and the same disciplines such as hard braking - which we wondered whether his arm would be good enough - Motegi couldn’t be a better place [to test that] with the mass high brakes that were fitted compulsory on MotoGP bikes because they were running out of brakes at Motegi to give you some idea.
"I can’t tell you how hard braking is on a downhill from a flat out position like at turn 11 before you go under the bridge. I mean, he’s still race-rusty from Aragon, goes to Motegi, sets in on pole and fourth place was a good fourth place.
"He looked really, really good. You know how those aches and pains go through you but that’s just because you haven’t really strained those muscles quite as much in recent times.
"The physio will be working like mad on him this week and I think he will come out in Buriram in really good condition. I’m really looking forward to seeing Marquez in Buriram."
So can Marquez take his first MotoGP win in over a year at Buriran?
Marquez is the only MotoGP rider to ever win around Buriram, doing so in 2018 and 2019 when he beat Quartararo and Maverick Vinales in order to clinch his eighth world title, sixth in the premier class.
Although such a result in the dry might be difficult this weekend, Marquez can’t be ruled out especially if rain - which is being forecasted - comes to fruition.
After all, Marquez is arguably the best rider in wet conditions and took pole at Motegi in the rain.
So what does Huewen think about Marquez’s chances of winning a race before the season is over: "Well, I’ve got it for Buriram! I’m going to put him on for one."
