Alex Marquez still limited physically after MotoGP summer break

Alex Marquez’s physical problems have not fully disappeared over the MotoGP summer break, he says.

Marquez’s physical limitations at the moment stem from his huge crash at the Catalan MotoGP in May. 

He returned from the injuries, which included a fractured vertebra, at the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of June, but even after a four-week summer break he found himself low on energy by the end of Friday at the British Grand Prix, which he suggested afterwards was to blame for his seventh position in Practice.

“I didn't try many things,” Alex Marquez said after Practice at Silverstone.

“Just this afternoon, for me one hour is too long. I arrived a little bit like [at the limit] with the force. I was too tired in the afternoon. 

“It's true that I focused a lot with the medium rear. Everybody tried the medium and then the soft, or opposite [order], and I arrived a little bit in that point with no information and not knowing [...] where I need to go more aggressive or not. 

“But it was fine. Everything is quite close. 

“It's true that the Aprilias here are flying as we expected, but we are not far. So, small problems, but I think that tomorrow if we can solve it, we can make a good step forward, and on race pace we are not bad, so this is the good thing.”

Marquez added that it will not be clear until after qualifying whether he will have a chance for the podium or better, but he also expressed confidence in his own pace.

“After the quali we will know if we have chances or not,” he said.

“But it looks like the Aprilias here have rhythm and also time attack, so it will be difficult to compete with them.

“But we need to strike the maximum potential because I think we have race pace in a good way, similar to them. 

“But, you know if you are P7 in quali, then it will be difficult.”

On the physical side, the Gresini Racing rider admitted that he expected to feel better at Silverstone.

“I was expecting to be better, but it's true that it's a track that is quite demanding on the physical side,” he said.

“For that reason, this afternoon, one hour [...] I arrived in the end a little bit too on the limit, but not big problems.

He added: “It's true that today in the morning I felt a little bit pain and not one hundred per cent.

“But it will be a big process, the crash was big and I will need some more time. 

“After [the British Grand Prix] we have three weeks more, so it will be important to recover and to be better. 

“But maybe it's a pain or it's a limitation that I will need to [know] how to live with them, with that pain. So maybe just my life changed a little bit, but for the rest I'm feeling good.”