Alex Marquez “had a moment of illusion” in Aragon MotoGP Sprint

Alex Marquez has admitted to having a “moment of illusion” in the Aragon MotoGP Sprint after he saw Marc Marquez spin off the start line.

The factory Ducati rider started from pole position, but was third after turn one due to his poor launch.

Alex Marquez said after the race that he thought his championship leading brother had perhaps dropped to the lower end of the top-10, and thought that a win was on the cards for him.

“I had a moment of illusion, of ‘Okay, I can win,’” the Gresini Racing rider said after the Aragon MotoGP Sprint.

“When I saw him [Marc Marquez] spinning on the start, I thought maybe he was in trouble, maybe he would [drop to] P8 or P9, something like that, and I can make way.

“But he said to me that he was third already in the first corner, so he didn’t lose a lot because here it’s [not far] from the start to the first corner.

“I was just trying to make a gap, thinking that Marc [Marquez] was a little bit more far, but also to make a gap with Morbidelli and the other guys. So, the first four laps were good, later on I took it a little bit easier; I saw that Marc was behind, he overtook me.

“So, just try to arrive to the end, take information, just like ‘one more’.

“So, we continue because here it’s true that the risk you need to take to beat Marc is too high, so it doesn’t really have sense to [try] because you will take it and maybe it will not be even enough.”

Looking to Sunday’s Grand Prix, Marquez admitted that he is counting on the unpredictable nature of motorcycle racing to give him a shot at beating Marc Marquez over 22 laps.

“We are in a sport that things can always happen,” he said.

“We will try as we tried today: to make our best, to be there, to be fast, but [with everything normal] it will be difficult to beat Marc.

“But many things can happen.

“We will try to make our best, to be there.

“Also it will not be easy to be second: we saw at the end Fermin [Aldeguer] really fast, also I was expecting more from Franco [Morbidelli] who in FP2 was really fast on the used soft rear [tyre], but he was in trouble a little bit [in the Sprint].

“We need to be really concentrated if we want tomorrow to be in P2. If we have a chance to beat Marc, I will try.”

Quotes gathered by Crash.net MotoGP Editor Peter McLaren.