Marc Marquez: Maximum from ‘worst-case scenario’, Honda ‘in delay’ for 2023

While his stunning qualifying lap may have suggested a repeat of the Phillip Island podium was on the cards, Sepang proved something of a worse-case scenario - combining the current technical weaknesses of the RCV and his own reduced physical condition.

Marquez held fourth place in the early laps, before dropping to seventh at mid-distance.

The eight-time world champion then fought back against future team-mate Joan Mir and the other Suzuki of Alex Rins, but returned to seventh when he was overtaken by Ducati’s Jack Miller on the final lap.

“It was a long hard race, but it’s what I expected because yesterday's performance was not normal,” Marquez said of his qualifying heroics.

• Malaysian MotoGP, Sepang Circuit - Race Results
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• Malaysian Moto3 Grand Prix, Sepang - Race Results

“In one lap, you can do it. But in the race, I started strong and then immediately saw I was losing [time] on the main straights and risking too much.

“I felt [we had] a slow bike all weekend, so you have to push more in the corners. For a single lap you can do it, but for a race distance the tyre degradation becomes bigger than normal.

“I tried to find my rhythm. Mir and Rins were a bit faster than me, but it's what we expected.

“Today I took the maximum. It’s a circuit with the weak points of my riding style, but also the weak points of the bike. So today is one of the worst-case scenarios.

“In the end, I had zero grip because we were pushing too much on the corners and used too much tyres. And as a consequence, I was fighting against the bike and then more and more [against my] physical condition.

“I felt [physically] worse than the other races just because I was fighting against the bike and using more energy.

“But even like this we finished 7th. Yesterday I said our result or rhythm was between 8-10th. In fact we finished seventh because Martin crashed [from the lead].”

Marquez added: “We are too far from the first guy, but the most important for me is that in the winter I was the slowest Honda here on race pace and today I was the fastest.

“It’s not my target [just] to be the first Honda, because my target is always pointing in the front. But always it’s a reference that we are working in a good way.”

Marquez crossed the line 14s behind race winner Francesco Bagnaia, whose Ducati he came within a fraction of passing for second just a week before in Phillip Island.

“Here in Malaysia, if you don't have engine and if you don't have rear grip, you can be Superman but you cannot do anything,” Marquez said.

“The rear grip was there for one lap, but then for the race distance I was struggling too much.

“All weekend I didn’t feel the rear contact and this, plus on the straights we were losing too much, meant it was impossible to follow the Ducatis.”

Honda ‘in delay’ with 2023 bike

Given Honda’s current slump - sixth and last in the constructors’ standings and the only manufacturer without a race win this season - Marquez has had one eye on 2023 bike development since last month's return from arm surgery.

But he’s still not sure if a ‘2023’ bike will be ready for the upcoming Valencia post-race test, on November 8.

“They still haven’t given me the schedule. I don't know if a new bike will arrive or not [at Valencia],” he said.

“We are already in delay because Misano [September] is when normally all the manufacturers try the [new] 2023 bike. We are delayed and Honda know that we're in delay, so we will have only one chance [to get it right].

“I hope to try something interesting in Valencia… also because what you try [at the following test] in Malaysia in February is the bike you will race. You don't have time to change it.”

Team-mate Pol Espargaro was the next best Honda rider on Sunday, in 14th.