“I shouldn’t have done that, too much risk” – Marc Marquez

Whilst the end result of his 58th and record-equalling MotoGP pole position will surely be remembered as one of his best yet, Marc Marquez concedes he shouldn’t have been gambling on slicks for the top spot in such tricky conditions despite its success,

Coming into this Czech Republic MotoGP weekend clutching a comfortable 58 point margin over Andrea Dovizioso, Marquez can afford to play it more comfortably with ten races remaining.

However, on a day hampered by intermittent rain and faced with a headache of a tyre choice now a dry line was slowly appearing just in time for qualifying, Marquez unexpectedly took the initiative by swapping to a slick-shod bike with five minutes of the session to go..

Indeed, only two of the 12 riders would risk it on dry weather tyres – the other being Jack Miller who qualified second – a sobering outcome that Marquez admits he wouldn’t do again if faced with the choice.

“I was very happy to be on pole position but after I analysed the situation I realised I took a risk I shouldn’t have,” he said. “In parc ferme, some of the team were very happy but some of them – the important ones – they were angry because I took too much risk and the target was the front row – it’s nice to get pole position but the target was front row.”

“The last lap is the one that [made me decide] if it happens again I will not do. In the last lap I took too much risk. Being 2.5s up is great but the distance between first and second on the grid is the same.”

Crediting the gamble on coercing himself into it knowing Pramac Ducati’s Miller was doing the same thing, Marquez was pleased to bring the Repsol Honda – and himself – home in one piece.

“The team did an amazing job, they were prepared and ready with the second bike. I go out and it started raining again and I could see it on the visor but the chance was the, so I tried to.

“The reason we went for slicks was Jack, because I knew he was coming with them but I didn’t know if he was improving or not so I just had to find my limit do my 100 percent. Lucky for me pole position but I feel much better because I didn’t crash.”

His sixth pole position of the season, Marquez will be targeting an identical number of wins this season tomorrow. Dovizioso starts fourth.