MotoGP News
Date:
14/September/2013
Marc Marquez kept his MotoGP title rivals on the ropes by
claiming pole position by over half-a-second in qualifying at Misano on
Saturday.
The rookie World Championship leader has shown no signs of
weakness following his Silverstone shoulder dislocation, setting the fastest
lap in every session with a fall in final practice offering the only chink in
his armour.
Damage from the incident, which he blamed on accidently
brushing the brake lever with his hand, robbed him of his preferred bike for
qualifying. But it didn’t seem to slow him down, Marquez delivering a new lap
record to claim a 0.513s advantage over Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo.
“Marc did an unbelievable lap and we couldn't even be close
to him,” admitted reigning double World Champion Lorenzo, who defeated an
injured Marquez at the final turn of the previous British Grand Prix.
“We are struggling to stop the bike in braking and are
spinning the tyre in acceleration. We
will keep trying to change the bike and tomorrow we have the last chance in
warm-up.
“But even now we are second and the new seamless gearbox is
good news for us.”
Indeed, Marquez does not expect to repeat his pole advantage
during the grand prix and predicts Lorenzo, fellow front row starter Valentino
Rossi and Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa to provide stiff opposition.
“Maybe for one lap the pole distance is a lot, but I do not
think it is a real gap for the race and most importantly you cannot win the championship
in qualifying,” declared Marquez.
“I don’t think I can run way at the front. Jorge has a very
good pace, Valentino will also be tough to beat, because it is his home race
and he has been very strong in practice; I'm sure that he will be fast
tomorrow, as will Dani who had some problems in qualifying.
Rossi, like team-mate Lorenzo, is buoyed by the new seamless
shift gearbox - technology used by Honda and Ducati since 2011 - and fired-up
for a strong ride in the most local of his two home Italian rounds.
“Starting at the front is very important to stay with the
leaders in the first laps, and fight for it. I want a great race and I want to
be on the podium.”
Pedrosa, Marquez’s nearest championship rival, struggled
with for rear grip and felt ‘lucky’ to claim fourth on the grid.
Marquez starts round 13 of 18 with a 30-point lead over
Pedrosa and 39-point advantage over Lorenzo.
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