Marc Marquez: 'No meaning' to stay in MotoGP for years without fighting at front

“His approach is admirable, after all he has achieved, he still wants to race but we have different mentalities. When I can no longer win and fight for the wins, I will stop. I am not made to race for 15th position,” Marquez had said.

With this weekend’s Misano round marking the two-year anniversary since Marquez’s last MotoGP victory, the eight-time world champion was asked about those words and how long he can go on without having fun.

“It’s true and I always say, for me, it's no meaning to ride a bike or to be here a lot of years without fighting at least for the top five, top seven positions. Because then as a rider, I don't have fun,” replied Marquez.

“Some riders have fun fighting for the back positions... maybe. But all athletes, all riders, have fun if they are in the front.”

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“I keep saying that for me it's so difficult to keep now the motivation,” added Marquez, who again evaded the chance to kill off sensational rumours of a switch from Repsol Honda to Gresini Ducati next season by repeating only that 'he has a contract with Honda'.

“But when you are in those [difficult] moments, you need to keep your routine. And you need to keep your way of working. At the moment, nobody with the Honda is much faster than me so I feel competitive and I try to keep the motivation in that way.

“But it's true that for the future, I hope sooner than later, to be fighting again for that minimum top five positions. That means that you are there on the top. Maybe not every race, but at least you are there [fighting].”

Although adopting a more risk-free approach since Silverstone, after breaking “three bones and one ligament in just six races", Marquez has still shown flashes of his former advantage over the other Hondas.

“Just as when I was winning in ’18 or ‘19 and the other Honda was in 7th-8th-10th place, I never say [I’m making the difference]. I just try to work in my garage to find the best,” he said.

“It's true that, for example in Portimao, I was much faster than the other Hondas. In Le Mans same, in Mugello same. But then it’s true that now I do one step [back] and I'm just taking the risk - as I did in the first part of the season - when I feel I can.

“But in Montmelo I did a few moments during the race weekend in a very good shape. I was feeling good. In Austria, for example, I didn’t feel well in the qualifying but in the race distance, I was fast and consistent. So let's see here.

“I just try to work on my performance. The mentality is changing but I'm not losing the mentality I have, because I'm fighting against my mentality. But my work is trying to keep the same routine as I did in ’18 or ‘19 or last year.

“Just try to be ready to fight for the best.”

The big question now is whether Marquez is aiming to be 'ready to fight for the best' on a Honda or Ducati next season...