Video: Marquez and Verstappen agree you must be a ‘killer’
Max Verstappen and Marc Marquez have agreed on the key personality trait that champions (on four wheels and two wheels) must have.
“What I like about Marc Marquez is that he is a fighter, he never gives up”, Verstappen said. “So he is very determined, he is a tough rider.”
Marquez replied: “Max is ambitious, and I like that. Then clearly talented. And a killer. In sports you have to be a killer if you want to be the best.
“The quality I admire most in him? The way to manage pressure. I mean, a lot of riders are fast, they’re talented and they go fast in practice. But then in the race, in the moment, on that day? Managing all that pressure is the hardest thing to do and he does it very well.”
Verstappen agreed: “Well, all in all it’s more or less the same thing for me. Riding the bike is like that, there are many riders able to do a good lap or ride well at a certain level. The race weekend, however, is very different to manage and there comes out really the strongest, the one who has the most talent.
“And Marc has been, even if these last few years have been tough for him because of the injury. Before he got hurt, I woke up in the morning waiting for the race knowing that he would win it 99%. I love MotoGP and it’s incredible, I can’t wait to see him in full form again.”
In a joint interview with his fellow Spaniard Márquez, F1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr. said he had no doubt the MotoGP rider would be like Senna if he drove in Formula 1.
“Márquez would be Ayrton Senna in Formula 1. I have no doubt about it,” Sainz said, as per the Spanish edition of Motorsport.com.
“Marc [Márquez] is the only one I’ve seen do impossible things like Senna did in the high-speed grands prix.”