Thursday October 18, 2012
Marquez ready to repeat incredible triumph in Moto2
SEPANG: How often does a rider win a race after starting from the back of the grid?
Obviously no one told Marc Marquez the odds of such a thing happening because that’s exactly what he did in the Moto2 race at the Japanese Grand Prix last week.
And his incredible triumph has set him up nicely for a successful world title bid in the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sepang this Sunday.
The Spanish rider failed to engage the first gear properly at the starting grid and needed to overtake the entire Moto2 field to secure his come-from-behind victory.
Marquez passed the riders quickly and was up to ninth after the first lap before eventually beating rival Pol Espargaro for his eighth win of the season.
With just three races left this year – and 75 points still at stake – Marquez can breathe easy as he has a 53-point advantage in the standings.Marquez could win the world title this Sunday if he takes the chequered flag at Sepang – although he is still coming to terms with his win in Motegi despite “the silly mistake”.
“I made a huge mistake at the start. It was a rookie mistake. When I engaged first gear, I noticed something strange, but at that moment I was only focusing on the lights and on making a good start,” said the 19-year-old, who won the 125cc world title in 2010.
“It didn’t occur to me to check if the gear had slotted in correctly. When the lights went out I found I was still in neutral and the first thing that crossed my mind was to hope that nobody hits me from behind. I had a lot of luck in that respect. I was very far back at the first corner and had to give 100% on the early laps.
“When I saw that I wasn’t with the lead group, my aim was to take as many points as possible. However, I surprised myself with the way I moved up to reach the front-runners.
“From then on, I took things much more calmly when it came to overtaking. To take 25 points here (at Sepang) is important.”
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