Marc Marquez withdraws from Andalucia GP: A Repsol Honda view
Jerez, 25 July 2020: The Repsol Honda Team forged ahead in Andalucia, the incredible efforts of Marc and Alex Marquez and their teams unfortunately unrewarded as Alex aims for a spirited comeback on Sunday.
All eyes were on the Repsol Honda Team garage as the second day of the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucía began, Marc Marquez making an incredible return to the circuit just four days after surgery on a broken right humerus. The Repsol Honda Team continued their work as normal, building on the data and learning of the last race and adapting as the conditions developed.
For Marc Marquez the day was about adapting and understanding the situation, each lap giving himself and his team more information about how his body was reacting to the demands of a MotoGP machine. Marc alongside HRC and the Repsol Honda Team elected to end his participation in the Andalucia GP after Free Practice 4 to avoid any further risks. This is the first Grand Prix Marc has missed since the 2011 Valencia GP while riding in the Moto2 class. His aim is to now return for the Czech GP on August 09.
It was a day of contrasts for Alex Marquez who continued to improve each time he left the pits on his Repsol Honda RC213V in FP3 and FP4. The day started with a solid Free Practice 3 session, making another step towards the top ten before an impressive run in Free Practice 4 where the rookie consistently ran inside the top ten. Unfortunately, this progress would go unrewarded in a difficult Q1 session which ended with a fall at Turn 5. Alex will start from 21st on the grid.
Takaaki Nakagami continued to shine aboard the LCR Honda RC213V as the Japanese ace topped FP4 and qualified eighth.
The second race in the 2020 MotoGP World Championship will begin at 14:00 Local Time, the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto once again set to host a thrilling 25-lap premier-class spectacle.
Marc Marquez said: “It was a very positive FP4 and I was feeling very good with used tyres but then I struggled more on new tyres. I made a lot of mistakes during Qualifying and I’m not able to really make the most of the initial grip, this is certainly something I have to work on because qualifying in MotoGP is so important. Even so, our race pace is looking better, and I am pleased with this. I also had a small crash, my arm is OK after some initial pain because the crash was quite fast, but it will be fine for tomorrow and the plan is to go forward tomorrow.”
