Marc Marquez points to what Ducati engineers must do to help him at Czech MotoGP

Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez is eyeing setup improvements on Saturday at the Czech Grand Prix.

Marquez was fastest in both MotoGP sessions on Friday in mixed conditions.

FP1 was damp but drying and Marquez was in the 1:54s, within hundredths of his all-time lap record at the Czech venue, by the end of the day; in Practice he was fastest again but no rider was able to run slicks in the afternoon.

Marc Marquez predicts faster times at Czech MotoGP

Marquez said the grip on the newly resurfaced Brno circuit is enough to expect 1:52 lap times on Saturday.

“The new surface worked super-good in wet and dry, the grip is amazing,” Marc Marquez told TNT Sports after Friday in Brno.

On the surface, he added: “The surface helps a lot. I expect to ride in the 1:52s, because today in damp conditions we rode in 1:54s.

“1:52s, I think, will be possible. Today it rained and there wasn’t a lot of rubber on the track which made it more difficult.”

The complicated conditions on Friday meant the championship leader was unable to do some setup work, which will now happen on Saturday.

“We need to work with the setup,” the Ducati Lenovo Team rider said.

“Today we didn’t have time.

“It looks like, on Saturday and Sunday, will be dry conditions. We need to work on the set-up because, with the new surface, the bike balance changes a bit.

“Already in FP1 I was riding fast but not comfortably.

“Most importantly we survived, we were there in the top-10."

He added: "The first part of practice was on the limit. Then the surface dried. The feeling was good.

"I was not thinking to have a dry line. But after 20 minutes I saw dry lines appear at some braking points.

"With 10 or 15 minutes more riding there would have been a chance for slicks."

The setup work Marquez wants to do on Saturday will make for a challenging day.

“It will be a tricky Saturday because we have only half an hour to try things, then a time attack,” he explained.

“The guys that pass in Q1 will have a small advantage in Q2 because it will be the first time attack, and to take the reference is difficult.

“The sprint race will be another test for Sunday.”

He added: "Tomorrow everything will be more open.

"It will be difficult because I understood in FP1 that the bike balance has changed.

"The grip is super - too much, in my opinion!"