28.10.2019
Márquez started the day well, showing promising speed in the morning warm-up session by posting the seventh fastest time (1’33.195), 0.262s slower than pace setter Brad Binder.
The championship leader started well from 6th on the grid and passed two riders on lap one.
But Márquez soon realised his feeling on the bike wasn’t ideal, and he spent the remainder of the race in the middle of an exciting 8-rider fight for 5th place.
Alex eventually finished 8th, 10.055s back of race winner Binder. His championship lead over Thomas Luthi, third in today’s race, now stands at 28 points.
Alex Márquez, 8º: “It was more complicated than what we expected. We didn’t have good rhythm from the beginning. I was in a big group fighting and lost many seconds because of that. But in the end when you don’t have the rhythm, or you don’t feel good on the bike it is what it is. I was suffering a little bit, trying to overtake but it was difficult for me. I think we achieved good points for the championship but we need to make a step for Malaysia. We are not far. Here was a difficult weekend for everybody. We’ll forget this. Malaysia is a completely different situation and feeling so I’ll try to push from the beginning and try to be fast.”
