2023-09-22 18:27:28
Today the Buddh International Circuit hosted the first day of action of the Indian Grand Prix and did so without the presence of rain but with high temperatures. Marc Márquez closes on Friday being one of the ten fastest drivers of the day, something not very common in a year that is being anything but easy for the man from Cervera.
The Repsol Honda team rider recorded a best time of 1 minute, 45 seconds and 117 thousandths, which placed him fourth in the final time table, thus avoiding having to go through Q1 tomorrow. Márquez will compete directly in the session that will define the starting grid for both the sprint race and Sunday’s race.
“When we arrive at a new circuit I am always able to quickly find the limit of the track”, explained the eight-time world champion. “Since FP1 I have been at the front and in FP2 we were able to hold on, although we lost a little margin as the general grip increased. Finally we were able to get into Q2, which was the objective, although I think that many drivers will give a step forward tomorrow.”
Marc is clear that his goal for Q2 is to finish “between the first three rows of the grid, and then we will see what happens in the sprint race. The heat here is different from other circuits, but I don’t think it will be a big problem for tomorrow; for Sunday, we’ll have to see.”
About the circuit, the first impression of #93 on its RC213V “It’s really good, better than everyone expected. I think a good job has been done in the last two months. There is no doubt that some curves can be improved for next year. But a lot has already been done, and all the drivers are grateful for it, so we can fully concentrate on driving.”
For now, Márquez continues with the same bike with which he competed in Misano, leaving aside the new features he tested in the subsequent test: “It’s the same bike as always. But I know that Joan is a very talented rider. When you arrive at a new circuit, talented drivers make the difference. Especially today morning we were very competitive. We were close to the head. In the afternoon we were further behind. “We did the best lap behind Bezzecchi, both Joan and I, because if you don’t have a hare in front as a Honda driver, it’s very difficult to get a good lap time.”
The presence of drivers like Mir or Fabio Quartararo in Friday’s top 10 confirms the Catalan’s theory: “Yes, we are in Q2. But if you look closely, Quartararo did it too. This makes you see that when talented drivers come to a new track, it is easy for us to find the limit quickly.“.
Read also: Joan Mir moves on to Q2 in India: “I don’t want to get my hopes up because I don’t think this is reality”
Finally, addressing their potential in the two races of the weekend, the 30-year-old driver believes that here they can aspire to more than in the last grands prix, although without aiming for the prize box: “If we had the race now, we could fight for a good position, but not for the podium. But yes for a better position than in Misano. But we have seen that the rivals are improving enormously from one session to the next. Race pace is also improving everywhere. One thing is clear, the others are getting faster. That’s why now I can’t make a forecast for the two races.”
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