News 12 Jun 2014

Confidence key in Marquez dominance, says Doohan

Australian grand prix legend speaks out about current champion.

Source: MotoGP.

Source: MotoGP.

Five-time 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan believes confidence is playing a major role in Marc Marquez’s current dominance of the MotoGP World Championship.

Marquez, riding for Doohan’s former Repsol Honda factory team, wrapped up the MotoGP title as a rookie in 2013 and continues to eclipse existing records following six consecutive wins from pole position to open the 2014 season.

“He’s not scared, that’s for sure!” Doohan told MotoGP.com. “Having that self-belief is what gets him through. It has been there throughout, it is one of Valentino Rossi’s strengths, all the way through to Wayne Rainey and a lot of people before him.

“It is just believing that you can get away with it. Why do some people crash at a similar speed, whilst others stay on? It is confidence and belief that they are not going to crash and they are going to get through it.

“It has been a long time since we have seen somebody like Marquez do what he does on a motorcycle and not fall off the thing. That all comes down to confidence.”

Considering Marquez’s current form, Doohan believes that he has every chance of further rewriting the record books during his premier class career.

“He is certainly young enough; Rossi had a very good run, as well,” he added. “Certainly today there are more races, but in our sport luck plays a big part in it. Marquez has age on his side, he has talent on his side and he is mentally strong enough as we have seen.

“He has had some big hits, especially in Moto2 and he has had some great races. He is not shy. As long as he keeps wanting to race and continue to have fun doing it, then the statistics may all be his!”

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