Marc Marquez explains his Brno crashes: “My mind wanted more than my body”

Marc Márquez finished fifth in the MotoGP qualifying session at Brno. The Ducati factory rider was 0.253 seconds off the fastest time set by Aprilia rider Ai Ogura. This meant the Spaniard was only the third-fastest Ducati rider of the day, behind Fabio Di Giannantonio and Francesco Bagnaia.

The result took on added significance because Marquez was once again struggling with his physical condition. Furthermore, the world champion crashed twice on Friday. In the morning, he slid into the gravel trap at Turn 7, and in the afternoon he crashed again during qualifying at Turn 11. Both incidents ended without serious consequences.

Marc Marquez can explain his crashes

Marquez attributed the first crash to a combination of a riding error and the after-effects of his injury. “The mistake started as early as Turn 6. After that, I didn’t ease off in Turn 7, even though I should have,” he explained. “That was the first time I really pushed. My mind wanted more, but my body didn’t follow.”

The second crash also occurred in a left-hand bend. Marquez deliberately tries to conserve energy there for the more demanding right-hand bends. “That’s the section where I ease off a bit to save energy for the right-hand corners. But with this bike, you have to ride at high intensity all the time. Let’s see if I can step it up tomorrow.”

Marquez spoke of a mixed day of practice. What was particularly noteworthy was that he felt best right at the start of the day. “In the first run this morning, I had the best feeling I’ve had so far this season,” revealed the Ducati rider. “But as the day went on, it got worse and worse. That’s why I tried to conserve energy and manage my lap times. But that’s incredibly difficult.”

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The Brno circuit is pushing Márquez to his limits

The reason for this lies in his physical condition. Marquez still has to manage his workload carefully. “Yes, I have to conserve energy. That’s why we’ll have to see how things look on Saturday and Sunday. The strain on my right arm is significantly greater here than it was recently at Balaton Park.”

The layout of the flowing circuit in the Czech Republic presents the Spaniard with different challenges to the comparatively slow track in Hungary, where he won the Sprint and Grand Prix two weeks ago. Whilst at Balaton Park the strain was mainly on the left side of his body, Brno places greater demands on the right side.

“Brno isn’t as gruelling as Mugello, but it’s not as easy as Balaton Park either,” explained Márquez. “In Hungary, the left side of my body was under the most strain; here, I’m using the right side much more. I can feel it, but it’s less taxing than Mugello. That’s why I feel better.”

Davide Tardozzi had to rein in the world champion

It was also noteworthy that Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi urged his rider, shortly before the end of the session, not to take any further risks. Marquez confirmed that this had been part of his plan anyway.

“I just wanted to go out and chase a fast lap once and then save my energy. It wasn’t about saving the tyres. We’ve got plenty of those. I wanted to minimise the risk for tomorrow,” he explained. “Davide and Ducati are aware of my physical condition. They’re trying to protect me. At the same time, though, they also know that it’s difficult to control my instincts once the visor is down.”

That is precisely where Márquez currently sees his biggest challenge. “At Mugello, it was easier to stay patient. Here it’s harder because you’re closer to the fastest riders. That makes it harder to control my instincts. But I have to manage it.”

Despite all the restrictions, the Spaniard is optimistic about the rest of the weekend. He has set himself a clear target for qualifying: “The first two rows on the grid.”

Marquez considers a top-five finish realistic for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. The defending champion made no mention of a win or a podium finish on Friday.