Márquez qualified sixth but a poor start saw the reigning Moto2™ World Champion drop to eighth place off the line. His recovery involved the 20-year-old rising to as high as second position, battling with Repsol Honda Team teammate Dani Pedrosa as well as multiple world champion Valentino Rossi. After the race, the Catalan rider admitted to having learned much while following his rivals.
"To tell the truth, I was pretty nervous on the grid because it was my first MotoGP race," he said bluntly. "I don't think I've ever been so nervous before. I found it hard to keep calm and I wasn't as focused as in Moto2.
"However, I regained my concentration at the last moment. The start was important and we knew that we were taking off from the dirty part of the track. I didn't get off well, but I was able to attack on the opening laps and overtake many riders - I think that was the key.
"When I rode behind Dani I learnt a lot, also later on with Valentino. Fighting against him is always nice to watch, but it's always tough at the same time. Valentino was a tough rival to overtake on the final laps. He beat us this time, but we hope to learn from him and from everyone who went faster than us."
Márquez heads to Texas third in the world championship, having collected 16 points for third place. During the pre-season, he was fastest in Circuit of the Americas testing.
Source: http://www.motogp.com
