Marc Marquez turned a carefully planned attack at Turn 1 into a decisive Aragon Sprint victory, using his strong start and tyre strategy to seize control of the race from pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi.
The Ducati rider knew the opening corner could determine the outcome after Bezzecchi opted for a softer rear tyre. While Marquez and most of the Ducati riders chose the medium compound, the Aprilia rider went with the soft, giving him a potential advantage in the early stages.
Marquez therefore identified Turn 1 as his best opportunity to take the lead before Bezzecchi could make the most of his tyre choice.
“Our chances of winning depended on that first corner,” Marquez said.
When the lights went out at MotorLand Aragon, Marquez delivered exactly as planned. He braked late and launched an aggressive move down the inside of Bezzecchi at Turn 1, taking the lead while his brother Alex Marquez followed through to move into second.
The move immediately gave Ducati a 1-2 and disrupted Bezzecchi’s early rhythm, allowing the Marquez brothers to control the pace at the front.
Marquez said his confidence at the corner played an important role in his decision to make such an aggressive move.
“It’s a corner where I feel strong,” he explained.
Although he acknowledged there was a risk of running wide, Marquez believed starting from the front gave him enough room to attempt the move without taking unnecessary risks.
Source: Corsedimoto
The tyre decision also proved crucial. Following difficulties with the softer rear compound at previous rounds, including Silverstone, Marquez and the majority of Ducati riders preferred the medium tyre for the Sprint.
With Bezzecchi starting on the soft, Marquez knew he had to act early. His Turn 1 attack allowed him to gain control before the tyre advantage could come into play.
The Sprint victory also moved Marquez back into third place in the championship standings and strengthened his position in the title fight.
Aragon remains one of his strongest circuits. Marquez has already won seven premier-class races at the venue, and his latest Sprint triumph further underlined his impressive record at the track.
With the main Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday, Marquez will now aim to complete the weekend with another victory and further close the gap to championship rivals Jorge Martin and Bezzecchi.
Asked whether he would repeat the same approach at Turn 1 in the Grand Prix, Marquez suggested the opening corner would once again be important, although he expects Bezzecchi to be better prepared.
“It depends, but the first corner will be important again,” he said.
With confidence high and Ducati showing strong pace, Marquez heads into Sunday’s race chasing an eighth premier-class victory at Aragon and another major step forward in the championship battle.
