Marquez: Assen was the "best race" for my title defence
Marc Marquez says the Dutch TT was the "best race" for his MotoGP championship hopes, after the Honda increased his points lead to 44 by finishing second.

Qualifying off the front row for the first time this season amidst a "difficult weekend" at Assen, Marquez battled with eventual winner Maverick Vinales and third-placed Fabio Quartararo, before backing off in the latter stages to consolidate second while main title rival Andrea Dovizioso was fourth.
Read Also:
Marquez admits his struggles over the Assen weekend meant he "didn't care" about fighting for the win ahead of Sunday's race, and was solely focused on simply securing a podium.
"The best race for the championship," Marquez said afterwards. "Of course, it was a difficult weekend for, but even after a difficult weekend [where] we suffer, we finish second and fight until the end.
"I didn't care about the victory, I was just concentrated on the podium, to fight for the podium.
"I was waiting behind Quartararo, and was waiting for Vinales because I knew he had better pace, and when he overtook I just used his slipstream to get away from Quartararo and the others.
"When I saw Quartararo was already four second [behind], my tyres were finished – especially the rear – and then I say 'okay, this is the position we want', and 20 points is good for the championship.
"We increased the advantage, and this is the best way to work for our target."
Marquez was one of only a few to opt for the soft rear tyre despite the hot track conditions, but says this was necessary in order to keep up with the Yamahas and pull away from the pack.
Lacking confidence on the harder compounds in races runs during practice, Marquez also notes running them would have dropped him closer to the battle for fourth with Dovizioso
"I choose the soft because my strategy was go away with both Yamahas," he revealed
"But I never had in my mind to lead the race, because when you lead the race you use more the tyre, and you destroy the soft tyre even more.
"So my target was to be with Yamaha riders until lap 15; I knew I was ready to be with them.
"I knew in the last laps I [would] suffer, but then you know you are 15 laps in good pace, and [then] you survive 10 laps.
"But with the hard, the risk was to stay with Dovizioso, [Franco] Morbidelli and be on that slower pace."
He added: "Of course, when I saw Maverick was extremely fast today, I was there following him just two laps, three laps, then I start to understand [there was] a lot of risk.
"I say already yesterday in the [qualifying] press conference Quartararo was 89 points behind us, and Maverick 100, and this is something I have to keep in my mind."

Previous article
Honda calls up Bradl as Lorenzo's replacement for German GP
Next article
Zarco had to exit Dutch TT "before something bad happened"

About this article
Series | MotoGP |
Event | Dutch TT |
Drivers | Marc Marquez |
Teams | Repsol Honda Team |
Author | Lewis Duncan |
Marquez: Assen was the "best race" for my title defence
Trending
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title