MotoGP News
Date:
9/November.2013
Championship rivals Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo will
start Sunday’s sell-out Valencia finale from first and second on the grid.
Rookie Marquez holds a healthy 13-point advantage and
finished qualifying on pole by a solid 0.340s from Lorenzo, at a tight and
twisty circuit known for close lap times.
Marquez can become the youngest MotoGP champion in history
with a fourth place finish even if Lorenzo takes his eighth win of the season.
So was Marquez taking unnecessary risks in pushing for pole?
“The plan was to be the same Marc as all year, try to be
there at the front with Jorge and Dani [Pedrosa] in practice and then on Sunday
see how we feel,” said Marquez. “The championship is important but if you are
riding fast and pushing your concentration is much higher.
“Sure it would be much better to win the championship - but
for me in any case it would be ok for my first season in MotoGP to lead the
championship into the last race.
“The race start is not my strongest point but we will try to
follow Jorge, because for sure he will take the lead at the start.”
Marquez added: “I think the race will finish:
Jorge-Dani-Marc.”
Reigning title holder Lorenzo was forced to fight for pole
on his spare Yamaha after technical problems with his number one bike and had
been fastest in final practice when riders were preparing their race set-ups.
“In qualifying the bike lost 50 percent of power so I had stop
and take the second bike, but the engine on the second bike was older and more
aggressive,” he said.
“It was a pity but anyway second is a good position and I
think they have already solved the problem, so I will be able to race with the number
one bike.
“We have a big chance to win the race tomorrow. The
championship is more difficult, but we are going to try our best. If we make a
good start we can overtake Marquez and then let’s see what we can do in the race…”
Lorenzo, who has thwarted Marquez in his two previous
chances to wrap-up the 2013 crown, could try and hold up the field in order to
bring other riders into play.
MotoGP has not had a final round showdown since 2006, when points
leader Valentino Rossi fell and lost the championship to Nicky Hayden.
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