Accepting I might not win Catalan GP the toughest challenge

Marc Marquez has admitted the toughest challenge for him would be accepting a defeat in this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix after a 14-race winning streak stretching back to Aragon in June.

The factory Ducati rider has been unstoppable for the majority of the season so far, with last month’s Hungarian round marking his seventh consecutive grand prix victory and 14th successive win, including his sprint successes.

It’s dominance that has put him on the verge of a seventh premier class title, with the possibility that he could wrap up the championship as early as the San Marino Grand Prix next week.

But to head to Misano with a chance of clinching the title, Marquez must secure a big haul of points at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which has been something of a bogey track for the Spaniard.

Already on Thursday, he suggested that his winning run could end in Barcelona this weekend, but he was still being considered the favourite given his impressive run so far on the GP25.

Asked if he is willing to take more or fewer risks as he closes in on the championship, Marquez admitted that he will have to come to terms with the fact that his winning streak would eventually come to an end at some point.

“No, I will try to keep the same mentality, because one thing that I learned in the past is, when the championship ends or when you’re done with your final target, we start [focusing on] the next year,” he said. “So I want to keep the same mentality and the same approach of the race weekend. 

“One of the weak points or the most difficult points will be accepting if tomorrow or on Sunday or maybe at Misano [that] I will not have the chance to win. 

“Because now I have seven victories in a row, 14 in total, but I know that it’s not the normal thing.”

Marc Marquez holds a 175-point lead in the riders’ championship over Gresini rival and younger brother Alex Marquez, who edged him out in Friday practice to finish third behind the factory KTMs.

There has been a visible shift in the 32-year-old’s mentality since his career-altering injury in 2020, and that was evident again in Barcelona when he suggested that his goal is to maximise his performance at every race, even if that means finishing second or worse.

“Let’s see if we can arrive [racing] with Alex at the end of the race, it will already be a very good sign for us, because in a championship of 22 races, you cannot be the fastest everywhere,” he said.

“My target at a strong circuit is to score the 37 points and at a difficult circuit, try to be with them, try to fight for that podium, the victories, and if I lose, I will lose.”

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo by: Lluis Gene / AFP via Getty Images

Marc Marquez finished fourth-fastest in Practice on Friday, just under a tenth shy of the top Ducati of his brother Alex, and while not quite at the same level as the pace setters, the six-time premier class champion still beat his own expectations at one of his least favourite tracks on the calendar.

“The fastest in terms of pace is Alex, but for Montmelo, it wasn’t bad,” he said. “I didn’t expect to be so close to the fastest. In the last sector, Alex put two tenths of a second ahead of me. 

“Let’s see if tomorrow I can improve a little, in terms of riding style, and the team will give me a little help.”

KTM caused a surprise in Barcelona by topping both sessions on Friday, with Acosta setting the pace in the first session and Binder heading a 1-2 for the Austrian marque in main practice.

For Marquez, KTM’s pace suggested that Ducati is beginning to face the law of diminishing returns as MotoGP approaches the end of the current rule cycle.

“When you have a really good bike, it’s very difficult to improve it. And that’s what’s happening. For me, Ducati is still the best bike.”