Honda’s Marc Marquez heads to the Circuit of the Americas in Texas keen to get his 2017 campaign back on track following two tough races for the Spanish rider.
Delays in getting the Qatar Grand Prix underway and the resulting drop in temperature forced Marquez into running the medium front tyre instead of the hard. After four laps he began to lose grip and only just hung onto fourth.
Last time out in Argentina, the Honda rider blasted away from pole position to open up a two-second gap by the end of the second lap, only to crash at the second corner on the following tour.
This left Marquez ninth in the standings with just 13 points, marking his worst start to a premier class season ever. After the dismal afternoon at Termas de Rio Hondo, the Spaniard is pleased to return to a track and a country that has proven incredibly prosperous over the years.
“After the Argentina race, I’m happy to go to a track I love as much as Austin, although of course I would have preferred to arrive there in a better position,” he said.
“Anyway, the race weekend is about to start and we’ll give 100 percent to try to get our first podium of the season.”
Marquez is the most successful rider on the grid in the United States, the five-time world champion unbeaten in the country since 2011.
In total, Marquez has tallied up 10 grand prix victories in America across the intermediate and premier classes at Indianapolis, Laguna Seca and, for the past four years, the Circuit of the Americas, where he secured his maiden MotoGP win back in 2013.
“I have great memories of Austin, and for me it’s one of the best venues on the race calendar,” he added.
“I like the layout of the track, as it has many different types of sections and corners, and lots of elevation changes. I also love the American style, with all the fans enjoying the sport and fun at the track.
“So let’s get back in action and see how it goes there.”
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