A brake problem nearly forced Márquez to retire

Marc Márquez’s fifth place was not simply the result of lacking pace. The Ducati rider revealed after the race that he had suffered a significant front-brake problem for much of the Grand Prix. The lever was not responding consistently and, when he ran straight on at Turn 1, Márquez says he braked without getting the response he expected from the system.

The situation became serious enough for him to consider returning to the pits. The brake then began working again during the race, allowing him to pass Brad Binder and then Fermín Aldeguer and salvage fifth place, more than seven seconds behind Acosta.

Ducati at least has something concrete to investigate: Márquez says the issue is visible in the data, although the exact cause had not yet been identified after the finish. The eleven points he saved remain important, but this intermittent failure directly contributed to him losing the championship lead.