Alex Marquez “upset, sad” after costly Sachsenring MotoGP crash
Alex Marquez "upset" after crashing out of second place in the German MotoGP while chasing brother Marc Marquez.
Alex Marquez blamed overconfidence in the final sector of the Sachsenring after crashing out of second place in Sunday's German MotoGP.
The Gresini rider, racing in the team's special Sete Gibernau-inspired 2003 livery, repeated his Sprint start to slot in behind brother Marc Marquez at Turn 1.
Alex then shadowed the factory Ducati rider, putting him on target for a first grand prix podium since his Jerez victory, until crashing at the final corner on lap nine of 30.
“I did just a small mistake,” Alex Marquez said. “I was quite fast in that [final sector] today. And I was maybe too confident.
“It's true that the grip level was a little bit lower today, and everything was more tricky. I don't know if the wind had some effect there, but it was more my mistake.
“I’m upset, and quite sad with that crash, but really happy with the weekend overall, coming from my injury.”
Alex had been managing his tyres before the fall.
“We were more or less in the same point as yesterday. Marc started quite relaxed and then put his rhythm step-by-step. I gave him a small space, just for the front tyre to not overheat.
“I was just trying to wait and save the rear tyre. But maybe I forced too much the front to gain time back in that sector that I was losing in the others.
“So, just that. Small mistake, but quite painful [for the result].”
Fabio di Giannantonio, who joined the Marquez brothers on the Sprint podium, also crashed out of the grand prix.
Still recovering from the collarbone and vertebra fractures he suffered at Catalunya in May, Alex had spoken on Saturday about how riders returning from injury can be caught out when their bodies don't respond as expected, while discussing Marco Bezzecchi's crash.
Alex said his own physical condition probably contributed to his grand prix mistake.
“Still, for example, in those [final] corners, I don't help the bike to turn too much; I'm too stiff on the bike, so I put too much weight on the front,” he said.
“I also think that was a reason for my crash.
"But step-by-step. I'm more close to my 100%, and I hope that after the summer break in Silverstone, or Motorland, I will be at 100%.”
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
