Almost every lap of the 22-lap Qatar Grand Prix saw a flurry of hard passes up and down the grid, the Repsol Honda Team pairing of Marc Marquez and Joan Mir featuring throughout. Rocketing off the line as in the Sprint, Marc Marquez immediately put himself into the mix as he exited Turn One in fifth place. Defending as hard as ever, the eight-time World Champion held his own in the opening laps of the race. As the competition heated up, the #93 found himself under increasing pressure from those behind as the likes of Binder and Viñales hounded him.
Initially dropping back, Marquez rallied in the closing stages of the race to fight with championship contender Jorge Martin for tenth position. Martin’s teammate Zarco joined their battle, Marquez fortunate to avoid crashing after a big impact from the French rider in the final lap. 0.1s shy of Martin at the line, Marquez gave his all until the chequered flag and took 11th place.
Now just one more stop remains on the 2023 MotoGP World Championship calendar, the Valencia GP, November 24 – 26. The weekend will not only see the World Championship decided but will also see Marc Marquez’s current sting in the Repsol Honda Team come to a close. Everyone involved remains unwaveringly committed until the end.
Marc Marquez: 11th
“I’m happy about our weekend, it was a solid one and we were able to have a few high points when we thought we would struggle more. We spent most of the race behind Martin, I don’t think either of us were feeling entirely comfortable to be honest. But we got some more points and now we prepare to head to Valencia for what is going to be a very busy and of course emotional weekend. Like always, our focus is at 100% to keep working and fighting until the very last lap.”
