MotoGP 2015: Marc Marquez willing to take risks to win races to keep his slim title hopes alive

MARC Marquez has nothing to lose and everything to gain, admitting he will take risks to try and win races knowing it’s the only way he can win the MotoGP title.

Marc Marquez, of Spain, rides through a turn during a qualifying Indianapolis Grand Prix motorcycle race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

MARC Marquez smiles the broad smile of a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Heading into this weekend’s Czech Republic Grand Prix, Marquez sits 56 points off the pace in the MotoGP world championship but arrives at the Brno circuit off the back of consecutive race wins.

It’s a far cry from 12 months ago, when he was already champion-elect and unbeaten in every race to this point.

The title is mathematically within his grasp, but nothing short of another winning streak will keep him in contention.

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In the pre-Brno press conference all three title contenders — Marquez and Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo — were asked what they felt was more important for the remainder of the championship campaign, notching up wins or avoiding mistakes.

The two Yamaha riders, split by just nine points at the top of the table, affected a grin and sidestepped the question by saying both were important.

Marquez? He simply smiled. He knows he has just one option to choose from.

“For me it’s only the wins,” he said. “I cannot do any mistake because I will lose completely.

“But right now (the title is effectively) already lost, so I can just think of the wins.”

Watch all the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 practice, qualifying and racing at the Czech Republic Grand Prix LIVE in HD on FOX SPORTS Australia this weekend.

Even if he wins every remaining race on the calendar, Marquez will still fall short of the title if the Yamaha riders consistently fill out the podium behind him.

It’s a fact Marquez is now trying to use to his advantage, making sure both his rivals knew that the 2015 crown is Yamaha’s to lose.

“Between them they cannot lose, no?” he gleefully asked the press. “They have a great battle for the championship, only nine points.

“We are far, so I just take the risk and we will see.”

Marquez endured a dismal start to the season with an ill-handling Honda that was a shadow of the machine that carried him to the 2014 title.

A lack of front-end grip combined with an aggressive engine that made the bike unstable under heavy braking left Marquez all at sea, his riding style scuppered by the beastly bike’s unwelcome new traits.

As a band-aid solution, Honda did something they normally avoid doing at all costs: they went back to last year’s technology.

A mashup of last year’s frame with this year’s swingarm, engine and electronics package gave some of the reins back to Marquez.

In the races since, he has rattled off a second-placing and two wins.

Marquez bested both Yamaha riders last time out at Indianapolis.

Marquez admits the beast still lurks deep within Honda’s ‘Frankenbike’, but the compromise is just enough to give him a fighting chance.

“We are able to fix but not completely,” he said.

“Of course the character of the bike is there, and still we have the problems, but it looks like I’m now able to avoid these problems.

“Now I feel much better with the bike than in the first six races. In Sachsenring I feel really good, I did a perfect weekend; Indianapolis, Jorge especially was very strong in the race but I was able to be there and beat him in the last laps. Holland is normally a track where I was struggling a lot (but) I was able to be with Valentino until the end.

“I don’t feel like last year, but I feel very good now.”

Just how good will be borne out at Brno, a circuit whose characteristics could well bring the bike’s inner demons back to the fore.

Originally published as MotoGP 2015: Marc Marquez willing to take risks to win races to keep his slim title hopes alive