Marc Marquez explains his startline bike switch before Americas GP

Marc Marquez has explained that leaving the grid ahead of the Americas GP was a carefully calculated move that exploited both his knowledge of the rule book and the psychology of his competitors.

Rain had fallen around 30 minutes before the start, causing all riders to weigh up their tyre choice. But with the track rapidly drying, Marquez then dashed from the grid shortly before the planned warm-up lap in order to grab his ‘dry’ bike from the Ducati garage. This led to a mass exit by other riders who were unwilling to go against the pole man’s strategy.

Under the rules, if more than 10 riders leave the grid before the start, a race will be restarted with all riders allowed to take up their original grid positions.

Knowing this, Marquez understood that dashing for his dry Ducati was unlikely to cost him a start from the pits or any penalty.

“I really know the rules,” confirmed Marquez when asked if it had been a considered strategy. “With eight minutes to go [before the start], I understood that we had made a mistake with the rain. But I also understood that most of the riders had [wet tyres and set-ups].

“Seven minutes before the start, I asked my chief mechanic if the second bike [with a dry set-up] was ready. He said ‘yes’. Then I said to him that maybe we would leave the grid.

“Why? Because I predicted that when I left, more than 10 riders would follow me and then they would stop the race.

“That’s what happened. We did everything well. We did everything perfectly. Everything was clear.”

In fact, exactly 10 riders left the grid, meaning Marquez fell one short in his numerical calculation. The red flag actually flew due to the general level of chaos around the grid and pit area. Under those circumstances, letting Marquez and the other nine escape without sanction is open to debate. 

Fabio di Giannantonio, who was next to Marquez on the front row of the grid, was among those to react just as Marc had expected.

“I didn’t really have any ideas [of my own],” said the Italian, who finished the race third. “I said ‘let’s just do what Marc does’. In these conditions he has always been quite clever, so when I saw him running I jumped off the bike.

“My mechanics tried to stop me at first, but I said ‘No, I have to go!’. Honestly, though, it wasn’t for any reason [except] that if I am starting on the front row and the guy on pole runs away, I have to follow! I have to [ride under] the same conditions.”

Right bike, wrong line

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

While the Marquez plan to change to a dry bike without losing his position played out perfectly – and also proved the correct call in terms of the track conditions and weather – his Sunday in Austin went awry when he crashed out of the lead on lap nine. Marquez gifted victory to team-mate Francesco Bagnaia by getting a little too high on the wet kerb at Turn 4.

“I cut that kerb a bit too much and I lost the front,” said Marc. “It was completely my mistake. I’m sorry for the team. I can say only this.

“I already cut the kerb [for a few] laps before. I just cut it too much [on that lap]. I was too optimistic.

“But I was fully concentrated, it wasn’t over-confidence. I just cut the kerb and I lose 25 points.”

Marquez not only lost the race but the lead of the world championship, in which he now trails brother Alex by one point.