Honda rookie Alex Marquez insists common MotoGP podium visits should not his “actual potential” regardless of scoring his second successive rostrum with second within the Aragon Grand Prix.
Marquez took his maiden podium within the moist situations of final week’s French GP and registered his second on Sunday at Aragon after chasing down Alex Rins for the victory in dry situations.
The Honda rider admitted on Saturday at Aragon after qualifying a season’s-best eleventh that aiming for a repeat of his Le Mans success was not a “real target”, however proved to be among the many quickest riders within the race.
Although he concedes his first dry podium is “actually vital”, Marquez believes he should give attention to his “rookie potential” of making an attempt to constantly end within the high eight within the remaining rounds.
“It means a bonus,” Marquez joked, when requested of the importance of his podium.
“Joking apart, it is true that it isn’t two dry podiums.
“It was one moist one at Le Mans, which no one anticipated as a result of we have been ranging from 18th.
“However right here it is a dry podium, not coming as a result of many riders crashed.
“We have been the second-fastest on observe, recovering numerous positions.
“It implies that we’re making our job in one of the simplest ways that we are able to.
“We’re enhancing day-to-day, we is not going to hand over, we’ll attempt to nonetheless enhance to the top of the season.
“Now I’ll focus 110% within the subsequent weekend as a result of I feel now we have a very good probability to enhance and take some revenue.
“After which we’ll take into consideration Valencia, Portimao.
“However I feel additionally we have to see if this potential now we have right here if we are able to additionally present in Valencia and Portimao.
“It is going to be a very good take a look at for us for subsequent 12 months to attempt to be quick from the start.
“However my goal is to not be on the rostrum each weekend as a result of it isn’t our actual potential.
“Our actual potential is sort of a rookie one, making an attempt to be extra common within the high eight and attempt to be [more consistent] and attempt to construct up our confidence just a little bit extra.”
Marquez was a fixture within the high eight for many of the Aragon GP practices, and admits he felt extra “free” on his Honda this weekend.
The Honda rider made two errors late on whereas chasing Rins, which he feels “value me the possibility” to struggle for his first win.
“I knew earlier than the race within the final laps I used to be one of many higher riders at managing the tyres, with the lifetime of the rear tyres,” he added.
“So I wait till the top to be sensible, making an attempt to be actually clean in all of the methods.
“Then two laps from the top I did two errors, within the final nook and the primary nook, that value me the possibility to attempt to struggle for the victory with Rins.
“I lose some tenths there.
“Then within the final lap I attempted arduous once more to count on some mistake from Rins however he was actually quick additionally within the final lap.
“So, actually glad, actually vital podium.”
