Marc Marquez has not denied that he is the favourite to win this weekend's Aragon Grand Prix, believing he has the potential to beat his Aprilia rivals in MotoGP. The Ducati rider knows this is one of his strongest tracks and a big opportunity to cut the championship gap.
The Spaniard has typically downplayed his chances this year, despite extra shoulder surgery in the summer boosting his performance. At Hungary, he claimed he had no chance of a podium, only to complete a clean sweep of qualifying, sprint, and the grand prix. Similarly, in July he said adding another German GP win would be tough, but ended the weekend unchallenged.
However, after Aprilia pulled away in the standings following a dominant Silverstone weekend, the factory Ducati rider admitted he needs to strike back. Asked if he can target a record-extending eighth win at the anti-clockwise MotorLand Aragon, the reigning world champion said: "Obviously, we are at a race track where... I like it for my riding style. I switched well in the last years. If we want to fight for the championship, we must finish in front of these [Aprilia] guys. So, we will try."
While Aprilia has made a huge step this year, winning seven of the first 12 grands prix, Marc Marquez believes his bike is good enough to challenge for victory. "It's obvious that Aprilia found something this year, because four Aprilia riders are very fast at every race track, especially tracks like Assen and Silverstone with fast corners. Here, we have a mix of corners. I feel well with my bike, and I know that if I take the maximum potential, I can fight for the victory."
Marquez has been near-unbeatable at anti-clockwise tracks like Balaton Park, Sachsenring, and Aragon. With his physical limitations still affecting his performance, he increasingly relies on his strongest tracks to sustain his title bid. Despite his confidence, he admitted his form could fluctuate depending on circuit characteristics.
"The pressure is there for everybody, but it's not more than in the past. It's true that last year I was riding in an easier way," he said. "This year, even at Silverstone, riding at my 100% on Friday and Saturday, I was fifth, fourth; I was not better. So if I have some issues, then I need to drop my pace. But apart from that, here [at Aragon] it should be better for the right arm because of the left corners, plus my particular point..."
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