Marc Marquez Repsol Honda MotoGP Interview

“I would say my Honda is similar to a bull in a rodeo”

Marc MarquezCourtesy of Repsol Honda

Until recently, current MotoGP points leader Marc Marquez shared a bedroom at his parents' house with his younger brother, former Moto3 World Champion Alex Marquez. When they were home, Marc would dress the dinner table, while Alex cleared the dishes after the meal. They are the type of sons every mother would be proud to raise.

From the outside, Marc seems to be an “ordinary” guy, but the five-time world champion is anything but ordinary. Stability both on and off the racetrack is one of the keys to Marquez’s way of life; he likes to surround himself with people whom he trusts. But he is also skilled at thinking quickly and turning a problem into an opportunity.

When Spanish creativity meets Japanese order, the result is almost unbeatable: three MotoGP titles in four years. As the series heads to Silverstone this weekend for the British Grand Prix, the Repsol Honda rider leads the championship. Andrea Dovizioso trails by 16 points, while Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi are 24 and 33 markers behind, respectively.

Marc Marquez and Maria GuidottiCourtesy of Repsol Honda

Who is Marc Marquez?

A 24-year old guy who dedicates his life to his passion, which is motorcycle racing. It’s a hobby and a job. He’s a smiling boy who aims at living life at the maximum.

What are three adjectives you would use to describe your factory Honda?

Nervous, impatient, and beautiful. If I think of the bike as an animal, I would say my Honda is similar to a bull in a rodeo.

How can you tame this runaway bull?

With "cariño." Treating it with love and a lot of work outside the track.

For years, the Honda was the most balanced bike of the grid. What happened?

If you asked me the same question in 2013 and ’14, I would have said that we had the best bike of the grid. Then, in a way, we had a standstill and the other manufacturers progressed. Now, we have a bike that features very strong points and very weak points. We are looking to find a compromise to have a more balanced bike.

Marc Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso, and Valentino RossiCourtesy of Repsol Honda

What are its strongest points?

Corner entry. You can enter the corner very fast, and the bike turns very well. On the contrary, exiting the corner the bike is very nervous, and as a result we lose a lot of acceleration.

Do you still need to adapt a lot to the bike?

I also try to adapt the bike to my riding style, but we know that there are circuits where my Honda works well and others where we struggle. So, I need to be smart and push when I can use the strong points.

In 2013/14, you took many risks and won. Last year, you clinched the third MotoGP title with a more conservative approach. What is your strategy this year?

It’s clear that you cannot win a championship by only being conservative. You also need to be fast and take risks. We all take risks. The key is to know when you can, when you have to, and to not make mistakes. At the beginning of the championship, I tried a more conservative approach, in line with what we did in 2016. I crashed in Argentina, taking some risks. I crashed again in Le Mans, and I returned to a more cautious style, trying to be consistent and getting as many points as possible. But you still need to take some risks.

Mario Andretti once said that if everything is under control, you are not going fast enough.

In a way, it’s a bit my style. When you have everything under control, it flows, but it’s more difficult to find the limit, and this is a risk.

Marc Marquez and Andrea DoviziosoCourtesy of Repsol Honda

What is your strongest point?

I always see the glass half full. I think that things will go well and then, if there is a problem, I try and see how to solve it—turning a problem into an opportunity. At least, I try. One of my strongest points is to always be ready to improvise. This is what I did at Brno. A mistake made on the grid, when I opted for the soft rear tire, become the key to winning because I entered the pits first to change bikes.

You brought all of your Moto2 guys with you to the Repsol Honda team. How important is it to have people around you who you know well?

My team is made of all the guys who worked with me in Moto2, plus two Italians, and the Japanese staff from Honda. They are friends, people I trust, and working companions. In the end, when I win, we all win. In Brno, I decided to enter the pits on the second lap and the bike was ready. It’s a relationship based on trust and also the good feeling to come to the circuits and work with your friends.

Do you still live with your family in Cervera, sharing a room with your brother?

I still live in the same house with my parents and my brother, Alex, but now we sleep in two different rooms.

Is this a question of maintaining a sort of stability?

I live the life of a normal person. I’m comfortable in my hometown. I don’t like to live alone, so I stay with my family. The next step will be to have a house on my own but in the same town.

Marc Marquez and Dani PedrosaCourtesy of Repsol Honda

Do you have a weak point?

I have many on and off the track, but I prefer to let others discover them.

Does Valentino Rossi have a skill that you admire?

I admire what he is doing now, how he continues racing with the same mentality and enthusiasm.

What about Jorge Lorenzo?

His precision. He is able to do the same line for 10 laps in a row. I’m not capable of doing this because I always try to improvise.

And finally, Maverick Vinales?

He is fast when he has everything under control—really strong. He is very fast on a single lap.

Marc MarquezCourtesy of Repsol Honda

Did you give up many things to become who you are now?

I had to give up many things that are typical for a guy my age but, for sure, I gained others that are not reachable for an ordinary person. The balance is positive, and if you manage things well, you can take advantage and have the life of a 24-year-old guy. There is a time for everything—time to be focused on the bike, time to do holidays, have fun with friends. Maybe what I miss is the possibility to go where I like without being recognized.

How difficult is it for someone in your position to trust others?

It’s difficult to trust new people because it’s not easy to understand if they are with you for their interests or because they like you. For this reason, I am surrounded by people who have always been with me, including the mechanics.

Even a young woman?

I don’t have a girlfriend at the moment. For sure, the question is the same: Is she approaching me because she likes me or because I’m a MotoGP rider? This doubt remains, but you need to think fast and sometimes love is blind. At the moment, I’m focused on what I’m doing. I’m single, but this is a phase of my life. There will be a time when I will be in love, I will get married and, who knows, maybe even have kids.

Are you the favorite to clinch the 2017 MotoGP title?

I don’t think I’m the favorite. We are all very close, and the situation changes a lot from race to race. But it’s always better to have a handful of points in advance rather than being obliged to chase.

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