Ducati's Marc Marquez has not denied he is the favourite for victory at this weekend’s Aragon Grand Prix, believing he has the potential to beat Aprilia.
The Spaniard has typically played down his chances at MotoGP races this year, despite an additional shoulder surgery in the summer immediately boosting his performance.
At Hungary, he claimed he did not stand a chance of finishing on the podium, only to complete a clean sweep across qualifying, sprint and the grand prix. He similarly suggested in July that adding another German GP win to his tally would be tough, but finished the weekend unchallenged to boost his title hopes.
However, with Aprilia having pulled away in the championship following a dominant weekend at Silverstone, the factory Ducati rider admitted he needs to strike back to remain in the title hunt.
Asked whether he can aim for a record-extending eighth victory at the anti-clockwise MotorLand Aragon, the reigning world champion said: “Obviously, we are at a race track where… I like it for my riding style.
“I switched well in the last years. If we want to fight for the championship, we must finish in front of these [Aprilia] guys. So, we will try.”
While Aprilia has made a sizeable jump in performance this year, winning seven out of the first 12 grands prix, Marquez believes he has the bike underneath him to challenge for victory on Sunday.
“It's obvious that Aprilia found something this year, because four Aprilia riders are very fast at every race track, and especially race tracks such as Assen and Silverstone with fast corners.
“Here, we have a mix of corners. I feel well with my bike, and I know that if I take the maximum potential, I can fight for the victory.”
Marquez has been near-unbeatable at anti-clockwise tracks on the calendar like Balaton Park, Sachsenring and Aragon.
With his physical limitations leaving him struggling even more at venues where he was already weak, he is increasingly relying on his strongest tracks to sustain his title challenge.
While confident about his prospects at Aragon, the Spaniard admitted his form could continue to fluctuate this year based on track characteristics.
“The pressure is there for everybody, but it's not more than in the past. It's true that last year I was riding in an easier way,” he said.
“This year, even at Silverstone, riding at my 100% on Friday and Saturday, I was fifth, fourth; I was not better. So if I have some issues, then I need to drop my pace.
“But apart from that, here [at Aragon] it should be better for the right arm because of the left corners, plus my particular point on riding style.
“I would like to be competitive in the next races, but we will see. If we can, we will do [our best]. If not, pass the days and pass the races.”
