The six-time MotoGP champion seemed out of sorts at Silverstone on Friday, experiencing a crash towards the end of the morning session and later relying on a tow from Pramac’s Jorge Martin to ensure he progressed directly to the second qualifying round.
The Spaniard managed to post quick times in the first sector on several occasions but lagged behind his competitors later in the lap due to difficulties with corner entry and rear grip.
Afterward, Marquez reflected on his challenges, admitting he was “very far” from his competitors after the opening day at Silverstone.
“The track is long with extremely fast corners, and if you struggle even a bit, the difference by the end of the lap is substantial,” he explained.
“From the very first lap of FP1, I felt like I was going in the wrong direction. Riding and connecting with the bike felt extremely challenging to figure out.
“I made efforts to improve, and the technicians worked on the setup, but while it felt better in the afternoon, we are still quite behind.”
Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
He called this “the only positive aspect of today,” emphasizing that both he and Gresini have significant work ahead to close the gap to their competitors.
“Today wasn’t a good day; I’m unhappy,” he said. “The only bright spot is that we made it into the top 10, but everything else felt terrible.
“I need to improve personally, and we need to figure out how to gain a better connection with the bike, especially concerning lap times.”
Despite it being just practice, Marquez positioned himself behind the faster GP24 of Martin in the closing moments of the session, aiming to benefit from a tow.
Marquez felt he had no other option but to trail another rider after feeling “lost” on his bike throughout both sessions.
“Today marked the first time I had to follow someone because I truly felt lost,” he admitted.
Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“At other tracks, I generally feel good and confident enough to go at it alone – I perform better solo. But today, I felt completely lost.”
“When someone is struggling but possesses the ability to succeed, they will find a way.
“Today, I initially followed Aleix [Espargaro] from the pits, but he wasn’t pushing, so I didn’t either. Then Martin caught up, and I decided to follow him. My intention was always to stay behind Aleix.”
