Marc Marquez told title hopes “disappear today” as engine catches fire

Marc Marquez has been told that his MotoGP championship hopes are finished.

The Gresini Ducati rider dramatically retired early from the Indonesian MotoGP when his engine caught fire.

Marquez now finds himself 75 points behind championship leader Jorge Martin who converted pole position into victory at Mandalika.

“It’s an absolute nightmare,” TNT Sports’ Neil Hodgson analysed.

“Marc’s chance of winning the championship disappeared today.

“He had to rely on being consistent.

“We were coming to the point of the race where Marc would have been strong. When the tyres go, and when he could use his ability.

“For it to go ‘pop’, then set on fire? I feel for him. He looks flat.”

Marquez’s blunt explanation to TNT Sports was: “The engine broke. It’s something that happens in this competition, it happens in this sport.

“It’s not in our hands. Sometimes mechanical things can happen.

“We won together, we lose together.

“It’s unlucky, of course.

“The pace I had was good to fight for a top five position.”

Marquez has endured a difficult weekend in Indonesia.

Two crashes in qualifying cost him a strong starting position, although he went from 12th to the podium in Saturday’s sprint.

Despite his optimism to do the same on Sunday, his GP23 had other ideas.

It now leaves him with a huge deficit to in-form Martin wth five rounds remaining.