Marc Marquez on Thai GP puncture: ‘It was like I hit a big rock’

Marc Marquez has put his exit from the Thai Grand Prix with a flat tyre down to bad luck.

The Spaniard went off the circuit just a few laps from the end of the race, explaining that this was a conscious attempt to avoid falling as he adopted a safety-first approach.

While crossing the kerb onto the asphalt run-off area would not usually have any technical consequences, it bit the nine-time world champion on this occasion.

“I was riding in a safe way, but I was unlucky,” Marquez told media post-race. “Because I jumped that kerb a hundred times in the [pre-race] test, for example.

“[It was the same] during the practice. And it never happened, what happened now. Because normally those kerbs are made so that you can jump out in a good way.

“But when I jumped out, I felt already that the rear tyre exploded. With a big hit also on the rear.

“Normally we jump out many times on the double kerbs. But this time when I jumped out, there was like a big rock there. And it destroyed and exploded my rear tyre.”

Marquez, who is still recovering from injuries sustained in last year’s Indonesian Grand Prix, underlined that he was trying to avoid falling.

“In the mid-corner I already felt the rear slide a bit. More than usual.
 
“The tyre was [worn] also… and then I saw that I was forcing the bike too much. And I said, ‘Okay, I don’t want to take any risks. Even if I lose time, I will jump [off] the track and I will jump in again.’.

“But that [safe approach] today was not the best decision. Because I think I was fully unlucky to destroy the rear.”

Marquez was running fourth at the time of the incident after a smooth and conservative race. He said he might have been able to deliver more over the final laps.

“P4 was certain. [Being] optimistic, P3. And why not P2?”

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– The Motorsport.com Team

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