Alex Marquez: Solid day, many laps
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Alex Marquez chipped half-a-second from his lap time during a trouble free second day as a Honda MotoGP rider, at the Valencia test.The 2020 Repsol Honda signing, based in the LCR pits for this week’s test, had fallen on only his eighth lap on Tuesday.But the reigning Moto2 champion kept his RCV upright throughout a mammoth 79 Wednesday laps, more than any other rider, as he moved up two places to 20th on the timesheet.Marquez’s best lap put him 2.386s behind the pace setting Yamaha of Maverick Vinales but second of the rookies, between KTM riders Iker Lecuona (15th) and Brad Binder (22nd).”We make some steps forward compared to yesterday, lap by lap we understand a little bit more this bike,” Alex said. “Okay, in some points there are still a lot to improve and a lot to understand, but I think we did a solid day, many laps.”I enjoyed it quite a lot and the important thing is that we concentrated a lot to make our rhythm a little bit better and it’s positive, the steps are good and we need to keep going like this.”Although taller than older brother, reigning MotoGP champion and future team-mate Marc, Alex says he fits on the Honda surprisingly well.”Better than I expect, because the Honda is a small bike but I feel comfortable already now,” he said.”I need to be closer and find more the limit to say if it’s an easy or difficult bike, in the moment I feel everything comfortable, everything good, so I need to keep going like this, keep improving and find the limit to know what I need to improve more.”Alex has spent most of his career being compared with Marc, something that will only increase now they are team-mates.”I will try to improve, to learn about lots of things from Marc, from Cal, from Taka, from all the Honda riders to try to take something from them,” Alex said.”For sure Marc is riding the bike in the best way and is the rider that is better to have as an example but anyway, I will try to make my way, to improve lap by lap and to be closer and closer.””4Another area where Alex can benefit from Marc is the physical preparation, admitting that he was feeling some fatigue by the end of the two-days.”At the end I was a little bit tired, so I saw a little bit where I need to work in the winter time physically and also a little bit on the riding style.”Also when you are on a new bike, you’re a little bit rigid. When you’re rigid you use too much power, so what I need is laps on the bike to flow more.”I know what I need to improve. It’s difficult to improve [physically] in four days so more for the winter time. First I’m looking forward to Jerez.”The Jerez test, the final MotoGP outing of the year, takes place on Monday and Tuesday.
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