Marc Marquez reveals what caused COTA crash: "When it happens you can't do anything"

Current MotoGP championship leader Marc Marquez has addressed the highside crash he suffered yesterday in a wet practice session at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. 

Despite being thrown from the bike across the tarmac, Marquez walked it off and continued with the session. Discussing the crash with the media, he admitted that he "made a mistake." The Spanish rider explained:

"I've said it many times, but it's really like this: in a thousandth of a second, it can change your season. I made a mistake I shouldn't have made, but it can happen.

"I was overconfident. I went out and I didn't realise there was so much water on the track, I didn't see it. I was riding smooth, and I had aquaplaning at the corner, when it happens you can't do anything. 

"I was still able to continue the session. I knew what had happened, and so it didn't affect the rest of my day at all. But you always have to think that we are on a motorcycle, we go fast, and you can crash and get hurt at any time."

The six-time MotoGP champion added:

"You can't always ride thinking that you will never crash. Logically, in these first races everything is going well, each time I am looser, more relaxed, with more confidence, but there are always critical situations. It also happened to me this afternoon passing on a wet spot, but on that occasion, I had to take the risk to enter Q2, this morning I didn't.

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo by: Ducati Corse

"It happens to everyone, last year there were those who crashed when they were in the lead at the last corner. It happened to Pecco in a race where he had everything under control. When you have too much confidence, you relax, and you forget that you are going to the limit.

"Today it happened to me, and in the future to others, it's something you have to remember, but you can't do it in every turn, in every corner, otherwise you're not fast."

Qualifying for the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas is set for later today with the 20-lap race taking place at COTA tomorrow.