Ducati, Marc Marquez explains initial mistake and enjoys comeback

Despite a bad start, Marc Marquez won the Sprint Race of the Grand Prix d’Italia. “At the start, I was the one who messed up – he explained to Sky Sports microphones -: I had put the launch control on, then I didn&#8217t read the message on the dashboard properly, I put it back on, then I took it off. When the traffic lights came on, I hit the gas and realized the system was not engaged. I activated it again, but by then I had lost time. I had the pitch today, though, and that allowed me to remount, because without pitch it”.

“I think I could have started with the right timing, but slower – added the Ducati rider -. That was my thought at the time. Without launch control you might start well, but then you lose so much, and here the first corner is far away. So I quickly decided to lose some time at the start, 2 or 3 tenths, but make a clean start. That way at least the speed up to the braking would be similar to the others”.

“From yesterday to today we have made an important step – the Spaniard then stressed -. I quickly understand what I need to go fast with this bike, and Rigamonti understands me better each time, and I understand better what he is looking for. This is fundamental. It seems like everything was already perfect at the beginning, but actually learning to establish a relationship with the technician and understanding each other better makes everything easier”.

“Today I had that confidence that I had already felt this morning in FP2, because we had taken another step forward. The one I was most worried about was Alex, because Pecco in the sprint usually struggles a bit more, but I expect him to be strong tomorrow: he always takes an extra step on Sunday. Alex, on the other hand, when he went in front, could not open the gap”.

“I was surprised by the feeling I had here at Mugello: I usually struggle, but today I felt good. But that is for today, let’s see tomorrow: the rear tire will be different, the tank will be full… we will have to look for the right feeling” concluded Marquez.