Marc Marquez “shouldn’t be normalised” after sensational ride with a broken wing
“He was having to compensate. But he can make the difference."
Marc Marquez was praised for another remarkable ride in the sprint race on Saturday at the Catalunya MotoGP.
The Gresini Ducati finished runner-up behind Aleix Espargaro after three leaders all crashed out.
Marquez started from 14th and endured a broken wing, but still overtook the impressive Pedro Acosta to secure an unlikely podium.
“He can make it happen,” TNT Sports' Michael Laverty said about the brilliant Marquez.
“Even on the last lap he was making an overtake into Turn 1, but his bike was wheelieing more because it didn’t have that extra downforce.
“He used the draft to his benefit.
“Throughout the race, Acosta was arguably the best on the brakes. But Marc just levels him. He makes it happen, and does what Pedro was doing. Then he protects it, and pulls it back.
“It shouldn’t be normalised. He was 14th on the grid! He worked his way through. Finishes second, up to second in the championship.
“It’s Marc doing Marc things, it’s so impressive to watch.”
The broken wing did not hamper Marquez’s charge through the field.
But, afterwards, it was noted how much he overcame.
“You feel like the bike is being pulled to one side,” Sylvain Guintoli said.
“It’s like a side wind, when you are cycling. You have to lean, even when you are going straight. It feels like that.
“It didn’t have a massive effect because Marc still had the pace to make some moves.
“But you will feel it. The wings bring stability. If one is missing, you feel unstable.”
Laverty replied: “He was having to compensate. But he can make the difference.
“He has always been good at positioning his body to make the bike work when it doesn’t want to do something.
“He shouldn’t have been on the podium. It was a little lucky because three front-runners fell out.
“He was there to pick up the pieces.”
'Make your own luck'
Although Marquez was fortunate to see Raul Fernandez, Brad Binder and Pecco Bagnaia fall from the lead, he was credited for not succumbing with a similar error.
“Especially when the conditions are tricky, you have to make your own luck,” Guintoli said.
“You have to stay in control, be cold and calculated, and not make mistakes.
“Clearly, it was so easy to make mistakes. So easy to overcook it, to blow it. We saw many riders do it.
“The rider that keeps cool and manages the situation wins. Espargaro did that well. But Marquez from 14th? Not panicking, getting a great start, keeping his pace without the wing.
“Something like that, mentally, you switch off. It wouldn’t have felt right on the straights or the exit of corners.
“You have to keep composed. This is where to see champions.”
Marquez rose to second in the MotoGP championship, 37 points from leader Jorge Martin.
Martin finished fourth in Saturday’s sprint.
“Jorge still delivered solid points scoring with Pecco on the ground,” Laverty said.
“He gave away a few points to Marquez but will still be happy tonight. He will regroup and come back tomorrow.
“Over a race distance, Jorge will have something tomorrow.”
Guintoli previewed Sunday’s grand prix: “There will be more tyre management over a longer distance. Lap times will drop.
“We have more consistent tyres but no grip. People will have to manage, and be clever.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
