Marquez Talks His Four Portimao Crashes…And Blames Bagnaia
Categories: MotoGP
Published: 25th March 2024
Following a tumultuous Portimao weekend, Marc Marquez talks his four crashes and blames one on Pecco Bagnaia.
As the MotoGP action unfolded at Portimão, the contrasting fortunes of reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Márquez took center stage, providing plenty of fodder for post-race analysis.
While Bagnaia appeared visibly annoyed as he packed his belongings in the paddock, Márquez took a more measured approach, reflecting on his weekend and highlighting the positives:
“If I conclude, it’s positive. Because what was most important to me was confirming our speed here.”
The incident that dominated discussions was the double crash involving Bagnaia and Márquez in the penultimate laps of the GP.
Márquez reassured: “The main thing is we’re okay. I feel my left shoulder, but it doesn’t concern me.”
In attributing the incident primarily to Bagnaia, Márquez stated: “The collision with Pecco was certainly not good, but I see the mistake here mainly on Pecco’s side. By that, I don’t mean his behavior on the bike so much. A touch is always possible in such a situation.“
“But I think the mistake lay in the decision. I mean, we were fighting for fifth place, it was about one or two points. Pecco had more difficulties, especially with the rear tire. And now the consequence is zero points for both.”
The clash with Bagnaia was the cherry on top of Márquez’ return to his Honda-style high-volume crash weekends.
Despite falling a full four times throughout the weekend, Marquez feels to be on a good path, attributing the crashes to factors like setup adjustments and lack of experience: “The first crash in practice was harmless. With more kilometers, I can avoid that.”
Reflecting on the performance of super-rookie Pedro Acosta, Márquez couldn’t help but praise the young talent, predicting a bright future:
“We’ll see more podiums and victories from him. Maybe he can even contend for the championship.” Such high praise from a seasoned competitor like Márquez speaks volumes about Acosta’s potential in the sport.
Despite the challenges and setbacks, Márquez found cause for celebration in his victory over Jorge Martín in the sprint race, a result that he says will undoubtedly “provide [a] confidence” boost.
However, Márquez also acknowledged the possibility of his trademark racing maneuvers resurfacing as he becomes more accustomed to the competitive environment: “I can’t rule out occasional aggressive racing move.”
