Marquez relieved to see the streak end, stays focused on winning title
Marc Marquez will maintain his focus on winning his second MotoGP World Championship and feels a sense of relief his incredible winning streak has ended.
After 10 superb wins against classy opposition, Marquez's streak ended with a surprise fourth place in the Czech Grand Prix at Brno won by Dani Pedrosa.
While surprised to miss the podium and be 10 seconds behind, Marquez was brutally honest in assessing that an imperfect setup and excessive wheelspin meant victory was beyond reach.
"My position was fourth, I was not ready to win the race and Pedrosa and Lorenzo had a very high rhythm and I could not follow them," said Marquez after the Brno race.
"But now I feel much better. Before I felt the pressure with everybody looking at me and talking about trying to win eleven races and then all the races of the season.
"I always said my target is to win the championship and if I have some Sundays like Brno I need to be smart and use the advantage I have in the championship.
"The most important thing is I still have 77 points advantage in the championship.
"For the first time in the races I have finished I was not on the podium in a MotoGP. I was 10 seconds behind but even if I pushed it would have seven seconds and still too far. The points for fourth would have been the same."
Marquez said he relaxed and slowed late in the race once he understood that his setup issues meant it was impossible to challenge Valentino Rossi for third.
At this point race-winner Pedrosa and second-placed Jorge Lorenzo were also out of reach.
"The biggest problem was on acceleration, this is where I lost time, I was spinning a lot," Marquez said.
"I tried to improve on the brakes to be closer to the front guys and for three laps it was OK but then I nearly crashed a couple of times and I knew it was not possible all the race like that.
"I tried all the traction control maps on the bike and it was not possible to be control the spinning. Then I was braking too late and the bike was moving too much and overheating the front tire. Every lap it was coming worse. I tried to follow Valentino when he passed me but it was not possible and this was the time to think about the championship."
Marquez also said that his elbow-banging overtaking duel with Ducati young gun Andrea Iannone early in the race did not impact on his result.
"I had a great battle with Iannone and maybe lost one second but this was not the main reason I did not win the race," Marquez said.
Equally for a rare day this season, the Catalunya GP one exception, Marquez's teammate Pedrosa was in top form.
When Pedrosa is inspired and at his best, and running in clear air out front, he is capable of winning as he showed in Brno.
