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Marc Marquez has always been in his element on the Texas circuit, and he wasn't disappointing this time either, as he started his Friday in 8th place and finished 3rd in the afternoon.
"I'm happy with the team's work and how we reacted, because I had some problems at the beginning of the day, and the sensations weren't optimal. Definitely worse than Portimão, but we recuperated. Especially starting from the second run in the afternoon, when we were then able to focus on the details. I got closer to the top positions, but there are riders who are faster than me, as I expected," he commented.
Comapring Honda with Ducati, the Spanish rider said, "There's no perfect bike. Each has its pros and cons. The RC213V, for example, was very good in stop-and-go corners. The Desmosedici behaves differently, and you have to find your time in another way. In fact, when iI started figuring it our in free practice two, the timekeeping feedback also improved."
In spite of a rewarding ranking, the eight-time world champion didn't leave out the criticalities he encountered because of a bike that is still not entirely in his hands: "Every rider has his own riding style, and free practice one is always the hardest, because you go on instinct and adapt the behaviors you acquired in the past. This makes you go slow, so you need to immediately change and adapt. That's what I did in the afternoon session, also helped by the team."
The Iberian rider then dwelt on the sections of the track that are less congenial to him. "For me, the first is the worst sector because of the fast changes in direction. But I know why, and tomorrow we'll try to improve the bike. With the Honda, I could move the bike well from side to side, especially in 2015. But then my body was younger. The issues? Just sensations that led me not to push. When I felt better in the afternoon ,I was also more incisive. Also, the final part of braking is still not at its best. Let's say I tried not to risk too much, so as not to make mistakes. In Portugal, I crashed four times, not because I was too aggressive. But I'm calm. I know expectations are high, but I'm equally aware of what we can do. The goal is the top fice. We'll see if we're able to finish in the top three tomorrow, but it's going to be tough."
Making an overall prediction, he concluded, "Figuring out the pace is complicated. Bagnaia and I used the medium, while the others used teh soft. Like I said, this track is tricky because of the many braking sections and the mistake is just around the corner. Congratulations to Martin for his time. I think I'm behind him, as well as Viñales, Bastianini, and Pecco."
