MotoGP standings leader Marc Marquez says the 2017 world championship battle with Andrea Dovizioso is one of the most difficult he has ever experienced.
The Spaniard transformed a 33–point deficit after the Italian Grand Prix to take a five–point championship lead at the Sachsenring. He briefly slid behind Ducati’s Dovizioso after the Silverstone race, but retook it by 16 points after winning at Aragon.
Now leading by just 11 points after Dovizioso pipped him to victory in Japan, Marquez admits this championship campaign has been one of the hardest of his career.
The Honda rider says he is pushing at his maximum every race weekend as he knows just how vital each point can be amid such an unpredictable season, and highlights the number of crashes he has had as proof of this.
“I mean, of course, it’s one of the most difficult championships,” he said.
“I’m pushing everything, I’m riding really good. I try to take all the potential from my bike.
“I mean, you can see a little bit, 22, 23 crashes is because I’m pushing, it’s not because I’m not pushing.
“I try to give everything because I know all the points can be important.”
The most difficult aspect of the 2017 season, Marquez believes, is how sensitive each bike is to small changes in track and weather conditions, and this has increased the risk taking needed to stay competitive during a race weekend.
“It’s a very, very tough championship because here in MotoGP especially, you have to understand which tracks where one bike is better (than) the other bike in each conditions.
“Also, it makes even more difficult that change a little bit the temperature and change the set–up of the bike, or change a little bit the water (level) and change the set–up.
“So you need to adapt very quick, and I’m taking a lot of risks.
“I already say I don’t know who will win the championship, but I think both of us are growing a lot because we learn many, many things and we are pushing a lot more than what we feel (is comfortable).”
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