Marc Marquez: Brazil GP mistake came at corner where track was ‘breaking up’

Marquez highlights surface issues at Goiania after a late error at Turn 12 left him fourth in the race

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez says the late-race error that cost him a podium finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix came at a point where the “asphalt was going out”.

Sunday’s race at Goiania was reduced by eight laps due to what MotoGP described as a ‘track degradation’ issue. While the championship or the FIM did not provide clarification, Michelin indicated that the ‘track surface was breaking down and degrading’ at Turns 11/12.

The call to reduce the race length from 31 laps to 23 came just five minutes before the start of the formation lap, leaving riders with no opportunity to change tyres or adjust fuel loads according to the revised schedule.

Sprint winner Marquez spent much of the race battling polesitter Fabio di Giannantonio for third position after factory Aprilia duo Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin pulled clear at the front.

The Spaniard appeared to have secured third place when he overtook his VR46 rival with a bold but clean overtake into Turn 7 with five laps to go.

However, on the following lap, the seven-time MotoGP champion had a major scare at Turns 11/12, allowing di Giannantonio to repass him and claim the final spot on the podium.

After eventually crossing the finish line in fourth, Marquez explained that he nearly crashed at the sharp right-hander where the surface was deteriorating following heavy rainfall during the week at Goiania.

“In the race today, it was possible to be on the podium, but I made a mistake on that corner where the asphalt was going out,” he told the media including Motorsport.com. “I nearly lost the front because I pushed too much.

“But apart from that, it was an acceptable weekend [in terms of my performance].”

MotoGP’s return to Brazil after a gap of over two decades has been marked by a series of track-related issues. Heavy rains flooded parts of the circuit at the start of race week, while the sprint race on Saturday was repeatedly delayed as workers repaired a major sinkhole that had appeared on the start/finish straight.

Despite the concerns about safety, Marquez insisted the conditions on Sunday were still manageable.

“In the end, it was an acceptable condition to continue. It's true that if you touch that point, that was [on] the racing line, and it was super slippery.

“In that lap, I touched that point a little bit, I lost the front and then I went to the kerb.

“So I decided on the kerb not to lean a lot, and I knew that Diggia was close and he would overtake me. But it was better to be in fourth place than crash.”

In an interview with Spanish broadcaster DAZN, Marquez expressed some concerns about the circuit’s future, saying “One of the things we're worried about is what will happen next year. Throughout the weekend, the bumps got worse and worse.

“At the spot where the asphalt was peeling up today, there seemed to be more gravel with every lap. That's where I lost my podium finish.”