Marc Marquez 'far from podium' after Silverstone MotoGP practice

Ducati's Marc Marquez has admitted he is “far from the podium” after Friday practice at the MotoGP British Grand Prix.

Silverstone has traditionally been one of Marquez's weaker circuits on the MotoGP calendar, though he did secure a podium here last year. However, struggling with the fitness of his right arm compared to this time last year, he ended Friday in sixth place, 0.733s off the pace.

Speaking to the media afterwards, he said he was not yet in the podium fight. “It was a day that we already expected. Looks like here normally Aprilia, for the flowing corners, it’s normally the strongest point of that bike, especially like Assen or here. We are working well, trying to find the best, and at the moment we are far from the podium; closer to the top five, but even I’m not in the top five. So, we need to work to try to be in that top five,” he said.

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Silverstone was always expected to be a damage-limitation weekend for Marquez before a more favourable circuit at Aragon in two weeks. Asked by Crash if his feelings on Friday were similar to those at Assen, he replied: “A little bit more potential than Assen, I believe, but similar position. But I feel I’m a bit more optimistic than Assen.”

Although Aprilia was quickest on Friday, Ducati still has fast riders in Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio who could challenge for the podium. Marquez also admitted his riding style is hard to change at 33, and that he is slower in his stronger parts of the track compared to last year.

“I mean, of course, the bikes have strong points and weak points,” he added. “And we already understood this season that Aprilia, where it’s flowing corners, is faster than us, and where there’s stop-and-go corners, we are faster than them. So, saying that, my riding style, since 2013, I’m struggling in the same circuits and I’m strong in the same ones. So, in those flowing corners is where I struggle. I learned that in some points he’s super-fast, and when I try to copy and try to follow him, it was even worse because I was overriding and I was losing even more. It’s the character of the rider. At 33 years old, I can adapt a bit, but my riding style is my riding style.”

“It’s true that last year I was struggling in the same points as this year, but I was able to recover in those changes of direction or something. But this year, no. But in the points I was strong last year I’m a bit slower, because we know the reason. Let’s see if we can try to manage and enjoy the weekend; it doesn’t matter the position,” he concluded.