Preseason recap: Marc Marquez

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) is certainly having an improved preseason this year compared to last, but what have we seen so far from the rider from Cervera?

Sepang

Marquez left Sepang in third overall, just over a tenth off Movistar Yamaha’s Maverick Viñales and with a positive outcome after a muted opening two days on the timesheets. Day 3 saw Marquez leap back up and end the day in second as he began his new modus operandi that would continue in Phillip Island, with a lot of focus on mileage.

Phillip Island

Australia saw Marquez really get down to business, going fastest on Day 1 and then second on Day 2 – with a mammoth 102 laps completed on the second day. Another 96 laps on Day 3 saw Marquez in P2 and the only man other than Viñales to get below the 1:29 barrier, concentrating on the workload and not the timesheets. Always blisteringly fast at Phillip Island, the good end to the test was also backed up for the whole team by Dani Pedrosa in P3 – finishing off Phillip Island in style for Repsol Honda.

Jerez Private Test: After cancelling a planned private test at the Circuito de Jerez in November last year, Repsol Honda then planned another in between Phillip Island and Qatar to replace it. Marquez was satisfied with work done on the single day of track action after Day 1 was rained off – but dislocated his shoulder briefly in a crash...

Qatar

The most challenging test for the number 93 saw him conclude Qatar rounding out the top ten. With a good number of crashes – including three on Day 3 – the desert venue was not as kind to the Repsol Honda rider as previous test venues. Day 2 found some good solutions for Marquez to go sixth, however, before the third day’s headlines came from the three falls. In conclusion after his worst test of preseason? “If we had to race tomorrow, I think we could fight for the podium…”