Marquez: If we can't win, no panic

Marc Marquez can clinch his fifth MotoGP World Championship crown this weekend at Motegi in Japan but the factory Honda rider says there is ‘no panic’.

The Spaniard has won two of his four premier class titles in front of his Honda bosses at the Japanese venue, but Marquez says he won’t be putting himself under any unnecessary pressure to repeat the feat on Sunday.

Marquez is seeking a third straight victory following wins at Aragon and in Thailand last time out, when he finally edged out Andrea Dovizioso in a last-lap shootout to turn the tables on the Ducati rider, who has had the upper hand in the past.

On Thursday, Marquez said: “Both victories in Aragon and Thailand have been very important because in the second part of the season the Ducati riders were very fast, and are very fast. So it was important and with these victories we were able to increase our advantage in the championship and we are a bit closer to our final goal.

“We have the first match ball, but the target this weekend is the same as the others – try to start from FP1, try to work hard and be ready for Sunday to fight for the victory. After warm-up we will see where we can fight, where we can arrive, because we cannot forget that this guy here (Andrew Dovizioso) is very fast here in Motegi. Normally he is also at a very good level, so no stress, no panic and there are four races until the end of the season and the target is the same as the other weekends.”

Reflecting on his previous championship successes at Motegi in 2014 – his maiden MotoGP title – and 2016, Marquez said that while he will try and make it a hat-trick of title-clinching feats in Japan, there will be ‘other opportunities’ to finish the job.

“The feeling here is more or less the same one and of course, maybe 2014 was the best way to win here because the situation was a little bit better because it was more difficult in 2016; but it was something that we didn’t expect and everything happened on the Sunday,” he said. “I won the race and both Yamaha riders ed, so it was something unusual.

“But it happened and this year we will try to repeat, but it is not the last race – it is not at Valencia and it is not the same feeling like last year in Valencia, when it was the last opportunity, the last chance. Here, you need to know that you need to focus to win the race; you can take more risks or manage in another way because you have more opportunities in the future races. Apart of that, the feeling is another weekend.”

Marquez had to give second best to Dovizioso in the wet at Motegi in 2017 after the Italian prevailed in a close battle. Both are expected to square off again on Sunday and the Honda rider says his defeat last year is still fresh in his memory.

“These kind of battles are here in my mind like they happened yesterday. It was a difficult race with the wet conditions, also a lot of water on the track but also a very nice battle,” said Marquez.

“He beat me on the back straight and braked later and he was already in front. I tried in the last corner but it was already too much and he did a really great move in that race. This year it looks like on Sunday it will be dry, so it can be a different and we will see.”