“Scared” Marquez “didn’t believe in myself” in COTA MotoGP qualifying

The Honda rider is a seven-time polesitter and seven-time race winner at the Circuit of the Americas and was expected to have a strong return to action this weekend having missed the Argentine round with vision problems he suffered as a result of a violent crash in Indonesia.

But Marquez could only qualify ninth on Saturday, which is his worst-ever showing in a COTA qualifying.

He had been on course to put in a solid lap time that would have lifted him up the order, but he backed out of it and admits he was “lucky” to even get ninth with his “worst lap”.

“I didn’t believe in myself in the qualy,” Marquez said. “During all weekend I worked very well, I worked nice in my rhythm, in my pace.

“But then in the qualy I go out, there was some traffic.

“Then I didn’t want to push and then I didn’t want to believe in myself.

“It was only my mistake. Also on the second tyre we had some issues, it was not just my mistake.

“We had some issues with the bike, so for that reason I was not able to push as I want and also I get confused and I think that I had one more lap with the second tyre.

“So, if you believe in you – for the front row it was not possible, but second row I think was my position there. But lucky we start ninth because it was my worst lap.”

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

He also denied his qualifying struggles were down to him missing one race and feels it’s “normal some doubts appear” after his Indonesia incident.

“Missing one weekend doesn’t affect your speed,” he added. “But it’s true that it’s a combination of many things. I’m coming from one of my worst weekends in MotoGP class, from the biggest highside, and all these things [affect me].

“It’s true that on the race