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Marquez: Winning title in Japan would be “like winning lottery”

Marc Marquez has conceded that his chances of winning the MotoGP title next time out at Japan are slim, saying such a feat would be “like winning the lottery.”

Race winner Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Race winner Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Podium: race winner Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Factory Racing
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Factory Racing
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Podium: race winner Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

With an advantage of 52 points over closest challenger Valentino Rossi following his win in Aragon on Sunday, Marquez has his first chance of wrapping up his third premier class crown at Motegi.

In order to do so, he would have to leave the Japanese track with an advantage of at least 76 points – which would require him to win the race with Rossi scoring no more than a single point.

Marquez however admits there is virtually no chance of such a turn of events happening.

“The important thing is to seal this championship, no matter when,” said Marquez. “I don’t think I’ll do it Japan, that would be like winning the lottery!

“If you want to be champion, there are times when you have to go for it. The important thing is that we waited for our moment. If I hadn’t won here [at Aragon], I wouldn’t have ended the weekend well.

Conceding that Motegi was a track unlikely to play to the strengths of his Honda, Marquez said the critical thing would be to be patient in Japan and wait for more favourable circuits to push.

“Of course, Phillip Island and Valencia are good circuits for me,” said the Spaniard. “Also Motegi last year I was strong in dry conditions, then in the wet it was different. With Malaysia with the new [track] surface we will see how we can manage.

“But we need to keep the same mentality – if we arrive on Sunday and we cannot win on the track where I have a red point [on the calendar], it’s not a problem. We must wait.”

Additional reporting by Oriol Puigdemont

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