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Marquez: Misano warm-up crash cheers "make me sad"

Marc Marquez admits he was saddened by the hostile reception he received at last weekend's Misano MotoGP round, notably when the crowd cheered his crash in warm-up.

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Podium: Race winner Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, sideways
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Podium: Race winner Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Race winner Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Pol Espargaro, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Race winner Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Podium: Race winner Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, second place Danilo Petrucci, Pramac Racing, third place Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team

Honda rider Marquez went on to win the San Marino Grand Prix with a last-lap pass on Pramac Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci, and was booed by the partisan crowd on the podium.

The reigning champion was also cheered by Italian fans when he took a tumble during Sunday morning's warm-up at Turn 3.

While Marquez was seen ironically blowing kisses back to the crowd after his warm-up crash, he admitted post-race that the negative reception had affected him - and said he hopes his own fans would never cheer one of his rivals crashing.

"This honestly makes me sad," Marquez said. "Because, I mean, on the podium I can understand, but what I cannot understand is when you crash, the grandstand cheers.

"I mean, this is something that, when we crash, we are riding 300km/h there on the track, we are pushing in the limit, our life is there, we can get injured.

"I hope that in the future, minimum my fans, never do this with any rider. Because the feeling is not nice."

Warm-up crash a "warning"

Marquez's victory over Petrucci moves him back into the lead of the championship with five rounds to go, level with third-place finisher Andrea Dovizioso but ahead on countback.

The Spaniard added that his warm-up crash acted as a "warning" for the race, and that he did not force the issue during his battle with Petrucci as a result, even though he had opportunities to make a move before the final lap.

"The warm-up crash, I think was a good crash – because if not, I would crash in the race," said Marquez.

"That crash gave me like a warning, and then I was just trying to follow Danilo, very quiet, maybe sometimes I had a little bit more but always try to control, try to push in the points I felt good.

"And then last lap I prepared very well. When three laps remained, already had the possibility to overtake him, but I said I don't want to fight with Danilo here, in Misano.

"That's why I overtake him and I push for 100 percent – for me was better to take the risk for one lap than to take the risk in the last corner."

The MotoGP race was held after two crash-filled support races in Moto3 and Moto2, with 22 riders crashing in the latter, and Marquez admitted the pressure was on everybody not to crash.

"It was so difficult before the race, because after Moto3, Moto2 race, many crashes from the top guys in the championship," he said. "It's quite difficult to go out because you know you have to finish the race.

"I knew if I crash for some reason and Dovi finishes second or third, will be so difficult the championship.

"But in the end you need to understand, manage this kind of pressure and I tried to do and was the best way."

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Edition

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