MotoGP Le Mans: Marquez ‘cannot think about the championship’

Marc Marquez’ struggles with both fitness and the Repsol Honda continued at Le Mans with a sixth place finish in the FrenchGP.

The eight-time champion fully admits the position was complimented by the crashes around him, with both the factory and LCR riders suffering with the same issues on the 2022-spec RC213V, alongside Marquez’ continuing battle to regain full strength in his shoulder and arm following his 2020 injuries.

“I already said yesterday that our position today in a good race was between fifth and seventh,” Marquez admitted on Sunday night. “We finished sixth - was not the real position. The real position was ninth but three riders crash in front of us, but okay is part of the race, part of the game.

“We did a solid race in our pace, is true that the race was too long. I mean, in the end, I felt tired, and I wasn’t able to push more but, okay, let’s see. Keep working, keep pushing, this is the best way to improve for the future.”

When questioned on if the new bike or his fitness was most to blame for the Spaniard’s troubles he insisted it remains a combination.

“Was everything,” Marquez confirmed. “The bike is not working in the best way, because suffering and not riding like I want, even like this I finished the first Honda but is not the target.

“My target is finish in the top of the podium and we are far. We need to keep working. Try to understand the situation, try to understand the problems and try to fix for the future.”

Sitting tenth in the championship standings, on 54 points after seven races, Marquez is 48 behind leader and reigning MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo, with two-thirds of the calendar still to run.

“Only?,” he joked when hearing the gap to the Yamaha rider. “No, the championship?

“We