Patience the key for Marc Marquez

Rookie sensation Marc Marquez insists he won’t get swept away on a wave of expectation as the Spaniard’s MotoGP debut moves ever closer in Qatar.

Speaking during the pre-event press conference for the 2013 season opener at the Losail International Circuit in Doha, the Repsol Honda rider said he will try and adopt a patient approach in the early phase of the campaign.

A series of brilliant performances in winter testing, which included him setting the fastest time at a private Honda and Yamaha test in Austin last month, has seen Marquez touted as a serious world title contender in his first season on board the factory RC213V.

Some pundits even expect Marquez to become the first rider since Max Biaggi at Suzuka in 1998 to win on his premier class debut when the new season kicks off on Sunday night in Doha.

Reigning Moto2 world champion Marquez has quickly become an expert in expectation management and today was no exception when grilled about his prospects for Sunday night’s floodlit first race.

The 20-year-old said: “Sure I will be a little bit nervous for my first race in MotoGP. I will try to enjoy and do my best but I think trying to be patient will be the key. From the beginning I have felt so good on the bike and this was a surprise for me because I expected to struggle a little bit more.

I need more kilometres but I don’t have any pressure. From the team, from Honda and Repsol there is no pressure and I need to say thanks for that. But the expectation is quite big. For that reason the key is to try and be patient in the first races and concentrate on my job.

Sure this first race is going to be difficult and if your mentality is that (you can win) then it can be dangerous. But we don’t discard nothing because nothing is impossible. But on Sunday night for the race we will see what is the situation.”

For the thoughts of Marquez on his long awaited MotoGP debut, see the April 10 issue of Motor Cycle News.