Marquez enjoying MotoGP future speculation which is "never a distraction"

The Honda rider is contracted with the Japanese marque until the end of next season, but rumours have persisted about the chance of him breaking that contract for next year.

Over the San Marino Grand Prix weekend, there were suggestions the six-time premier class world champion could switch to the Gresini Ducati squad at which brother Alex currently races.

Insight: The signs suggesting Marquez is considering a Honda MotoGP contract break

He has repeatedly stated he has a contract with Honda for next year, but as the manufacturer’s problems in the championship persist, those rumours have grown stronger.

Asked on Saturday whether the speculation was a distraction, Marquez said: “No, it’s never a distraction, it’s a part of our jobs. Even on Thursday I created even more [speculation].

“So I’m enjoying, but you know, I’m 30-years-old already, I focus on the race track, I focus on my team, try to find the best.

“On Monday, we have an important test and yeah, it’s part of our job also, but it’s okay.”

Marquez started ninth in Saturday’s sprint but finished 10th after being beaten to the final points-paying position by his younger brother.

The 2019 Moto2 champion passed his former factory Honda team-mate up the inside of Turn 10 as Marc Marquez ran slightly wide to claim a point.

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marc Marquez accepted that Saturday’s race was “not bad”, especially compared to last weekend’s Catalan GP at Barcelona, but emphasised he would be unable to maintain those lap times over a longer distance.

He said: “It’s true that the race today overall was not bad, we were not like in Montmelo. We were closer, the problem is the way to do it.

“Yesterday, as you see, I was with the other Hondas, because I was just riding in a smooth way, just trying to understand the limit, and that’s it.

“Today I put that extra, but to put that extra is very physically demanding and for a long race distance it will be difficult to push all the laps.

“It is true that for single laps like qualifying and practice it was okay, and on the sprint race I didn’t have the pace in the first laps to follow the top guys.

“Then, Alex my brother touched me, and then I saw that it was him with more riders and I know that on the practice we had better pace, and what I did is I let him pass to use him to open the gap with the others.

“Then I did the [1m]32.0s, three, four laps like qualifying laps or practice, used everything, pushing a lot on the brakes but then my real pace is 32.4, 32.6, that’s the real pace.

“Those laps were like qualifying or practice and I cannot ride like this for a long time.”