Are there still records Marquez has to beat? Not much, but there is one within his reach at Phillip Island, or rather the chance to beat Doohan and become the most successful Honda rider of all time in the reigning class. Another win and Marc will reach 55, no other rider has ever won so many races on the Tokyo Bike.
And of course the goal is more than feasible. Marquez arrives on 13 consecutive podiums, something he has never achieved in his career. He is in incredible shape and has already won twice in Australia, most recently in 2017.
“Mick Doohan is one of the first names in my memory, Doohan against Criville on the 500, so it is something special for me to achieve his incredible numbers,” said the world champion.
And Phillip Island could be the ideal track.
“It’s one of my favorite tracks, Phillip Island. I really enjoy driving there, especially in the left corners! But it’s a track that many others, and Yamaha in particular, can be strong on. Usually we have a lot of competition there and it will be a challenge as always. Our goal is of course to try to win, but as soon as the weekend starts we’ll see where we are and assess the situation. We approach the entire event with the same mentality. “
As always, Lorenzo is in a completely different situation. Despite his less-than-glowing result, the Mallorcan believes he has made progress at Motegi and hopes to confirm this at Phillip Island.
“I would like to see if what we discovered in Japan can help us there too, as it is a completely different type of circuit. I couldn’t drive there last year and am looking forward to driving again. It’s a special track and in the past I have fond memories of how I fought for podiums and what victory I had. We also need to watch out for the weather as it can change circumstances dramatically. “