Marc Marquez points where Alex Marquez is “best of the grid” after Argentina MotoGP sprint
Factory Ducati rider expects a hard battle in Argentina GP with his brother
Marc Marquez admits “it will be tough to beat” Alex Marquez in Sunday’s MotoGP Argentina Grand Prix despite winning the sprint from pole position.
Championship leader Marc Marquez topped Friday practice with a new lap record, before securing pole with an even better lap on Saturday morning to solidify his status as the favourite for victory.
He led every tour of the 12-lap sprint, but was pushed hard by his brother Alex Marquez, who ultimately lost out by just 0.9s at the chequered flag.
Marquez reckons his younger brother eased off in the final laps to protect a comfortable second-place finish, and expects beating him in the grand prix on Sunday to be “tough”.
“Of course, was a very difficult victory because Alex was pushing a lot,” he said in parc ferme.
“I was pushing and the rhythm was amazing because we were most of the race on 1m37s.
“I pushed some laps a little bit more, but always the gap never increased, so I just kept pushing.
“In the last laps I think he slowed down a bit because the gap between the third was a lot. But tomorrow it will be tough to beat him because he is super constant.”
On Alex Marquez’s pace, Marc Marquez noted one area in particular at Termas de Rio Hondo where his younger brother has an edge over everyone.
“I mean, I know he was fast, I know he was super strong in Turn 3 and Turn 6,” he told MotoGP’s official website.
“In those two corners he is amazing, he is the best of the grid at the moment in that kind of corners. So, let’s see if tomorrow we can improve a bit there.”
He added: “It was nice to start on pole position again and to win a sprint race.
“Tomorrow will be the main race and we need to keep working because looks like the track is changing practice by practice, and I think we can improve a bit with the bike set-up.
“But today we had a very strong brother. Alex was riding super-fast. I was pushing, I was riding on those 1m37s but he was behind me just at plus zero on the slipstream.
“I was thinking that if he attacks me, it means he’s much faster.
“But when four laps remained, I tried to put extra steps there with the used tyre and I was able to be fast and then manage the distance in the last two laps.
“I think the podium will be between me, Alex and Pecco Bagnaia, or Pecco, Alex and me.
“It doesn’t matter the positions because everyone is super-fast and we are riding at a very high level.”
