The Thai Grand Prix was, in the past, a particularly favorable race for Marc Márquez, and it was where he secured his last MotoGP title in 2019. However, the Repsol Honda rider is now approaching this race with some caution regarding his chances.
Asked whether the Buriram round is one of the best opportunities to score a strong result before leaving his current team, the Spaniard replied: ‘I don’t know the answer, but on the paper here and Valencia, but also Phillip Island and in Phillip Island we didn’t achieve a good result. So, we will see during the weekend’.
On the other hand, Márquez said the rear tyre construction will create some similarities with the Indian GP: ‘Here we will start more or less like India. Especially the rear casing is the same as India. It’s a casing with which I struggled a lot in the past, but in India I was able to manage. It’s true that with that casing for example Joan [Mir] rode a bit better than with the standard casing. But I feel better with the standard casing. So, let’s see. Immediately in FP1, in the first run, you understand if you are on a good base or you must change a few things’.
And, in case of rain, the #93 considers that chances are higher, despite acknowledging he is not riding so well on wet this season: ‘If it’s wet, the possibilities are higher. But it’s true that this year on wet I has been fast, but I was not riding in a good way. I don’t feel the way to ride fast. It’s true that sometimes I ride fast on wet because I know where I need to brake, I know where I need to open the gas, I know where I need to lean. But not by the feeling of the bike. Last year the feeling was super good and this year on wet I’m OK, but the feeling is not good. So, for that reason in some circuits like for example Silverstone on wet we were struggling a lot’.