Marc Márquez: “have to improve in Sector 3, at Turn 11, but it’ll be difficult; my target is try not to lose a lot and pass Bagnaia but i was…”

Marc Márquez Shows Strong Form in San Marino GP Practice

Marc Márquez impressed on Friday during the practice session for the MotoGP San Marino GP, finishing second with a time just 0.185 seconds behind the leader, Francesco Bagnaia. The Gresini rider, an eight-time world champion, seems to be regaining some of his form, trailing only Bagnaia, who is highly familiar with the Misano circuit.

Márquez emphasized the importance of starting the weekend with a good feeling: “For me, the most important thing was to have the feeling from Austria, especially because in Austria there was a different situation with the rear tyre.

One of the problems I’ve had this year was that rear push to the front. Here, it’s the first time we have a normal casing with normal grip. But I felt good; the base setup was working well.”

Despite the strong start, Márquez acknowledged that his main rivals, Bagnaia and Jorge Martín, could step up their pace as the weekend progresses. However, he is

optimistic about maintaining a top-four position: “Here everything is super equal, and I think Bagnaia and Martín will make a step tomorrow. But let’s see if we can stay in the top four.”

Márquez admitted that Sector 3 of the Misano circuit remains a challenge for him, particularly due to the predominance of right-hand corners, which have historically been a weaker area of his riding style.

“I’m slow in Sector 3, which is right, right, right—no left corners. And I’m fast in Sector 4, which has two left corners. This has always been my weak and strong point. I’d like to say I’m good on the right, but it’s the opposite.”

Improving in this area won’t be easy, but Márquez is determined to minimize his losses in Sector 3 while capitalizing on his strengths elsewhere on the track.

“I have to improve in Sector 3, especially at Turn 11, but it will be difficult for me. My target is to not lose a lot there. We’re losing in two other places, but that’s where we will lose. So, we need to take advantage of our riding style and our bike’s strengths in other sectors.”

Márquez also clarified that his second-place finish was reflective of his actual pace, despite being affected by a yellow flag toward the end of the session.

“I did a 1m31.0s with the first tyre and a 1m30.8s with the second one. But with the first tyre, I felt better. There was a traffic jam on the second run, but today, Pecco [Bagnaia] was faster. For me, second place was the real one.”

As the weekend unfolds, Márquez will aim to continue his strong performance and possibly challenge Bagnaia for victory.