Marc Marquez P3 despite crash: “I think I know why, it was my mistake…”

Marc Marquez crashed his Ducati for the first time on a race weekend yet still finished Friday Practice third-fastest at the Portuguese MotoGP.

Marquez ended the morning session fastest, then finished the day in P3 after losing the front of his Ducati at Turn 5.

Yet, it was all smiles after a productive day in Portimao.

• 2024 Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao - Friday Practice Results

Marquez assessed his crash: “We did a small change on the bike to give me more confidence.

“If you have more confidence you are able to push more.

“We need to go this way.

“The crash was on the last time attack.

“When I was behind somebody on a Honda I felt better. On a Ducati I feel worse.

“I try to manage it in a different way.

“I lost the rear on entry. A strange crash. I need to analyse.

“I think I know why I crashed. It was my mistake.

“When you do a time attack, my instinct arrives. I am used to going super-fast on the apex with a Honda. On this bike, you need to ride in a different way.

“The potential is in another area.

“I had shaking. I saw the speed was too fast. I tried to go in with my instinct, with a slide, but now I know that I can’t!”

Marquez had briefly gone fastest during the afternoon session, then dropped back down to fifth.

With one run to go, he was P2, and eventually settled for P3 behind Enea Bastianini and Jack Miller.

He explained his wide smile in the Gresini garage: “It makes me happy that I’m enjoying it. I’m top five, six, you feel competitive. I am consistent with lap times.

“The track will improve. I know Pecco and Martin will arrive.

“Two or three riders are faster than us.

“But I’m enjoying it.”

Portimao was expected to be a major test for Marquez because he had never tested a Ducati here, unlike in Qatar.

But he fed back: “Easier than Qatar. In Qatar I struggled more.

“I was riding - you say conservatively - but it was just without confidence.

“It looks conservative but when you don’t have confidence you can’t push.

“Here, the confidence is better. The technician Frankie Carchedi understands my riding style better. I understand the bike better. I understand what I need on this bike to be fast.

“This helps with confidence and with lap times, and to be quick.”

Marquez gave himself an “eight out of 10, I would say 9 without the crash” for his Friday at Portimao.

He added: “I pushed, but everybody pushed. Practice is one of the most stressful of the weekend.

“Because you need to work for the weekend, you can’t crash the first bike, you need to do three time attacks, be in the top 10…

“It’s super stressful on the mental side.”