Important 4th place for Alex in Austin

Birthday boy Márquez, who turned 21 today, suffered a disappointing end to the race as he rode through the pain barrier with arm pump. He settled for fourth place and championship points after a thrilling battle with Takaaki Nakagami who claimed the final podium position. With this result, Márquez heads to his home race with 24 points and sixth place in the standings.

Alex Márquez: “The mistake early in the race was a key moment for me but then also towards the end I struggled a lot with arm pump, the layout of this track is not easy for me. But I am happy to get fourth and good points for the championship. To be honest when I saw my pace in practice I was a little surprised, this is not a good track for my style but I am positive going to the next race in Jerez. It would have been nice to win on my birthday but you have to control your emotions and score points.”