Marc Marquez stated that he had no explanation for the severe tyre drop he experienced in the British Grand Prix sprint, finishing ninth, and expressed his disappointment.
The factory Ducati rider surged to fourth place by the end of the first lap, overtaking Marco Bezzecchi’s Aprilia.
However, his race unraveled on lap five of ten when Bezzecchi reclaimed the position, passing him at Maggots and Becketts while also facing pressure from Alex Marquez.
Clocking lap times in the 2:00 range while leaders posted 1:58s, the reigning champion continued to drop order as Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta and Franco Morbidelli passed him.
A strong exit from the final corner allowed him to hold off Diogo Moreira’s Honda and claim the final point, a day when Aprilia secured the podium.
Although Marquez anticipated some tyre wear, he admitted surprise at the extent of the degradation compared to his rivals.
“I’m disappointed because we experienced a new feeling in the sprint race,” he said. “In practice, we never encountered such a rear‑tyre drop.”
When positioned sixth to seventh, he was under significant pressure, risking a crash, noting that the point difference between sixth and zero was only three or four points.
Thus, he simply finished the race and will look to improve, aiming to manage the rear tyre better and hoping the team can find a solution to overcome the issue.
Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Marquez explained that he was experiencing tyre graining, a condition where the rubber tears from the tread yet adheres back to the tyre, creating an uneven surface.
“It’s not that the temperature was much colder,” he noted. “The issue is not tyre degradation but graining, which prevents the rubber from operating at the proper temperature.”
Michelin introduced asymmetric soft and medium rear tyres for the British GP, with most front‑runners selecting the soft option for the sprint.
“The rubber supplied by Michelin is the correct compound,” he said. “Checking tyre temperature with the tyre‑tarmac confirms we are within the proper range, so the issue lies elsewhere and requires further understanding.”
Consequently, Marquez slipped to fourth in the standings, with his deficit to championship leader Jorge Martín widening to 29 points.
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