If I wanted to get my writing flagged as AI, I might start my notes from Sunday at Jerez for subscribers with a suggestion that Jerez was a weekend of contrasts. Which is a shame, as Jerez really was a weekend of contrasts. Saturday was a headlong rush into madness, a frenetic chase from wet practice to qualifying on a drying line to a bizarre but thoroughly entertaining sprint race.
Sunday’s full-length grand prix, on the other hand, was another tedious procession, the trademark of the current era in MotoGP, another victim of ride-height devices, aerodynamics, and Michelin’s front tire. A crash by Marc Márquez was the only constant in both.
Even those two crashes were marked by contrast. The crash on Saturday was a small get off, that allowed Márquez to enter the pits (for the legalities of that exploit, see Saturday’s subscriber notes), and then go on to win the race. The crash on Sunday was fast, early, and put him out of the race altogether.
What they had in common was they exposed a weakness in Marc Márquez’ armor. One which may be more concerning than he is letting on.
