Alex Marquez: When I have the opportunity, I will go fast on the Honda

Alex Marquez concedes the prolonged racing pause puts him under pressure to get up to speed quickly in MotoGP if he wants to retain his Repsol Honda seat for 2021, but he remains confident he can impress on the RC213V when the season does eventually get underway.

Fresh from winning the Moto2 title in 2019, Marquez steps up to the premier class in 2020 alongside his six-time title-winning brother Marc Marquez, albeit on a single season deal that gives Honda a chance to evaluate him on the front-running bike before committing for longer.

However, with the start of the season delayed until July as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Marquez won’t have the luxury of using the first half of the season to demonstrate his potential as Honda is likely to make a final decision on its 2021 rider line-up during the summer.

Nonetheless, though his pre-season preparations were hampered by a bike that even for Marc Marquez’s proved a handful to ride, he is optimistic about making big strides quickly when the season does get underway.

“It is difficult to set a goal because we do not know how many races we will have, what the season will look like, but a top eight at the end of the season would be a high goal and we will try to reach it,” he told the MotoGP.com website.

“The situation is not the best to try to renew a contract because I have not had the opportunity to demonstrate what I can do, first for myself and then for the team. Honda has always given me safety and I believe that when I have the opportunity, I can go fast with this bike. I hope I can demonstrate my potential and how far I can go with Honda.

“{In testing] We focused on the pace in the race, with the tyres worn to be in the worst condition you could be on a track. We lost a bit on the fast lap, but in Malaysia we were pretty close and I was happy. 

“From the first tests, they told me that I lifted the bike very well and very quickly, which all the Honda riders say was difficult, and I also have the best team-mate to learn because he is an eight-time World Champion. Physically, I have him at home to see how he trains and I can try to improve myself every day."