On Track Off Road No. 195

FEATURE
er’s first strokes in the deep end of the premier
class. “The dynamic is the same,” Marc says
“because Alex is a rookie and cannot ask much
when it comes to concepts of the bike because
– like Jorge Lorenzo – he has to understand the
bike and know how is a Honda [but] there is
also Cal Crutchlow who is very capable to also
have a second opinion of the development. I
think the test in Malaysia will be like last year; I
won’t be able to do all the laps I want but it will
help to work on the shoulder as well.”
Consternation and conjecture could fill Marquez’s
first steps of the
campaign and mystery
around whether he’ll be
able to create a ninth
painting for Repsol. At
the moment he is not
in the position of ideal
strength to mentor or
school his younger
brother and insists that
the presence of the #73
in the same box will
not veer to the point of
being a distraction from
his own aims. “Alex
arrived in MotoGP as
world champion and
with a lot of enthusiasm…but
my mentality and focus is the same
[as always],” he insists. “The first rival is always
your teammate but this year he’s a rookie…I’ll
be working 100%, and don’t want to worry at
all about the other half of the box. The moment
I enter the circuit I will be 100% focussed on
what I have to do, even if we do keep on training
and working together as we have done up
until now. I hope we’ll improve mutually.”
With the opening paces of 2020 MotoGP only
a few days away Marc is talking with the same
cautiously positive outlook that served him well
in 2019 and led to three wins and four podiums
in the first five rounds. “The objective is to arrive
at the first test in the best shape possible
but at the same time remembering that the
first race is at the beginning of March and the
steps have to be made slowly,” he reasons. “We
learned a lot from what we had to do last year.
I didn’t need to change on the bike but in the
first races I had to handle the practice sessions
in a different way. Maybe the same will happen,
I hope not because the evolution in the last
weeks has been pretty good, but it’s possible
that in pre-season I won’t be able to do all the
laps that are necessary and should be made.”
Tipping the Honda
RCV to angles
that routinely defy
belief could involve
a brief and tentative
process of
re-acclimatisation
but there is one
area of his physique
that doesn’t
need any work.
Marquez clearly
had a firm hold of
the Fireblade when
creating his ‘artistic
vision’. “It was a
unique experience,”
he smiles. “I had to hold the bike really hard
with my legs. We’ll see if we can paint another
one.”
“ALEX IS A ROOKIE AND CANNOT
ASK MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO
CONCEPTS OF THE BIKE BECAUSE
– LIKE JORGE LORENZO – HE HAS
TO UNDERSTAND THE BIKE AND
KNOW HOW IS A HONDA [BUT]
THERE IS ALSO CAL CRUTCHLOW
WHO IS VERY CAPABLE TO ALSO
HAVE A SECOND OPINION OF THE
DEVELOPMENT...”
Like any gallery (or quaint medieval town) visitor,
MotoGP fans will digest and fully appreciate
what Marc and co will be hanging out to view
for the next ten months.