Fifty-eight thousandths. That is the distance that has separated Marc Márquez from pole position after more than two months of injury. The Cervera driver slipped into the front row of the grid at the French Grand Prix after giving a new display of experience and mischief.
Márquez had struggled to find his rhythm over the weekend, being limited by both his injury and the Honda’s lack of pace. In fact, on Friday he suffered two falls by forcing to try to set a bad time.
Realizing that by his own means he could not find the rhythm, Marc chose to repeat the strategy that allowed him to take pole position in Portugal and sought the wake of Jorge Martin to make his last attempt at the wheel of the Madrid driver, which allowed him was worth setting the best time, although a few seconds later, the current world champion, Peccco Bagnaia, he broke his mark, relegating the Spaniard to second position.
After qualifying, the Honda rider explained how he managed to set the second fastest time. “Yesterday I was going fast but I did not feel the motorcycle. Today, with the same motorcycle, it was me. With the first tire being alone I got second, and with the second tire Martín was a little further away, but it wasn’t like Portimao”, explained Márquez in statements to ‘DAZN’.
The Honda rider did not hesitate to show his astonishment at seeing himself so high in his first classification after two months in the dry dock: “I am happy and surprised to be on the front line. I know that in the race distance, even if it is in the sprint, I will suffer a little more because we were not able to be constant. But I’m better than expected at the moment.”
Although he does not rule out fighting for the podium, the Catalan assures that he is satisfied with scoring points again and recovering the good sensations on the bike: “I see the podium difficult. Honestly, if we finish in the top seven or eight, I sign it already. And it’s not that it’s prudent. I am the most ambitious on the grid and I always want more, but we have to be a little realistic.
However, he does not give up the possibility of fighting for the top positions. “We left without high expectationsbut without giving up anything. Let’s see what happens,” declared Márquez.
