Having conquered the 125cc World Championships, Marc Márquez took the next step in his sporting career today, getting onto a Moto2 motorcycle for the first time. The Repsol rider completed more than 200 kilometres on the Cadiz track to begin the process of adjustment to his new category and get to know both his bike and the team who will be alongside him in this new project.
Conditioned by the rainfall over the previous days which had left the track wet, the Repsol rider waited until after midday to start to ride on the Andalucian track once the sun, which had broken through the clouds, finally dried up the puddles. Márquez did sets of five laps after which he began to make adjustments to the basic configuration of the bike to familiarise himself with the numerous differences: the power, engine type – four-stroke -, the weight of the bike, the size of the tyres, the riding style, etc.
The Repsol rider finished the day happy to have finally been able to ride and also to have enjoyed the fun experience of riding a Moto2 bike, demonstrating quick adaption to the category. He particularly noticed the extra power of the engine which, due to being four-stroke, also requires learning how it behaves to be able to make the most of it when braking. This is the point where the greater weight of the bike is evident, an important difference compared to the small 125ccs, which also exerts greater physical demands.
Tomorrow, the Repsol rider will finish these tests in Jerez in which, weather permitting, he will continue to test the limits and characteristics of the new Moto2.
Marc Márquez, 1’45,9 sec, 46 laps, 203 km. >> Audio
“I’m really happy because it’s been the first time I have tried out the Moto2 and everything went well, just as we hoped. In the beginning it felt a bit strange because you feel the power much more but also, there is a lot more weight. Also, a four-stroke engine behaves differently. The team is different too. But, as I went on, I gained confidence and got a feel for the bike and everything went well. Today we didn’t focus on testing because the objective was to do some laps, get to know the bike and not worry too much about the set up, without changing many things because it wouldn’t achieve anything. Overall, my performance wasn’t bad either and I really enjoyed it”.
