Marc Marquez has hailed his success in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Misano “much more important” than his dominant win in the United States three weeks ago.
The Honda rider stalked Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia throughout the 27-lap encounter, though began to struggle with front end grip in the closing laps and started to lose touch with the Italian-though he would be handed victory as Bagnaia crashed out at Turn 15 with just a handful of tours remaining.
His Misano win marks his first at a predominantly right-handed circuit since his fearsome Jerez crash last year that injured his right shoulder, an achievement Marquez says he had been targeting before the end of the current campaign in order to be fighting fit for the title in 2022.
The six-time premier class champion admitted he “didn’t expect to win” based on his form in the San Marino GP at the same track five weeks ago, and said that he was satisfied to be able to “ride the way I wanted” across the opening segment of the race.
“This victory is much more important than Austin, as I said on Thursday my target was to be on the podium here or Portimao because for myself I wanted a podium on a right-handed circuit before the end of the season,” said Marquez post-race.
“I didn’t expect to win here at Misano in these conditions with a race pace that was incredibly fast, even like this we were lucky because Pecco (Bagnaia) was a bit faster than us but when he pushed I gave up.
“But then on that lap where he started to push and I gave up he crashed, fortunately he’s OK and we profited from it and could finish the race in a good way.
“Importantly for me I was able to ride in my normal way in the first half of the race and then in the last part of the race I started to feel something and lose feeling for the front, so then I couldn’t ride the way I wanted.
“Even like this I was able to keep up a consistent pace, so we keep improving and this is a great way to end the 2021 season so we can prepare well for 2022.”
Marquez added that choosing the right tyre strategy ahead of the race was tricky due to having to make a “compromise”, and that he opted for what for him was the safer medium compound front tyre as a result of the two crashes he suffered on Saturday.
“The tyre choice was a compromise; it was either the medium front which was good on the left side or the hard option which was good on the right side but a bit too hard on the left,” continued Marquez.
“After two crashes yesterday I just wanted to finish the race even if the performance wasn’t the best, and the fact I started seventh pushed me to take the medium because I knew I had to push hard on the first lap and I went up to third so this was good.
“I’m very happy because at the first Misano race I finished fourth but ten seconds from Pecco, and today I was able to follow him and the guy in third was eight seconds behind so I’m very impressed and happy.
“It is not my day though, it is the day of Fabio (Quartararo)who was the fastest and most consistent rider of the year so I want to congratulate him and now it’s time to work to fight against him next year.
“This year Fabio and Pecco were on another level, but Fabio was much more consistent and he was able to suffer in a better way (stronger off days), so next year it will be difficult but our target is to fight for the championship against him, and we’ll try.”
