Marc Marquez has suggested he is a strong chance of a podium or victory if rain falls in the Thailand MotoGP race.
The Repsol Honda rider qualified eighth at Buriram, where he is making his third start since a fourth operation on his right arm back in June.
However, but for a last-corner error, Marquez might have been on the front row instead, and he finished fourth just a week ago at Motegi.
Then, he had played down his chances of victory despite having qualified on pole, and he claims he is still not a chance of a podium in the dry in Thailand.
If it does finally rain when the premier class is on track, however, then that could be a different story.
“On dry, I don’t feel bad,” said Marquez.
“Not to finish on the podium because we are not ready, but I am enjoying it.
“The lap times are there, I am starting to enjoy it on the bike, I don’t have pain, I am saving some small mistakes at the front.
“If it’s wet everything is open; if it’s dry, it is more useful for my physical condition.”
The comment about saving mistakes is particularly noteworthy considering Marquez had been struggling to work the front end of his RC213V like he used to, although the changing nature of the bike itself has also been a factor.
The six-time premier class champion has also been doing something else that he had come to shy away from in practice.
Out of necessity, he had got into the habit of following his rivals for a reference, but is now willing to go out on his own again.
“I did the perfect strategy,” declared Marquez, after advancing from Qualifying 1 and then saving his sole remaining soft Michelin tyre for a final run at Qualifying 2.
“It is difficult with only one tyre. With the first one, I did 30.5, then I put on a new one.
“But when we went out, there were Ducati riders; they have the bike, they don’t need a slipstream.
“Then we started to play. I found a good lap. I came good, I came fast.
“But on the last turn there was a mistake, like in FP3; more or less the same mistake as Q2.
“We know what happened. Unlucky. We will fix it for [Sunday] but we couldn’t fix it for Q2.
“With two rear tyres you have more possibilities.
“All weekend I was pushing in front; for a long time, I was not doing this.
“In FP2 I pushed in front of Fabio Quartararo and Francesco Bagnaia. In FP3 I pushed in front of Jack Miller.
“I was pushing and doing the laps alone.”
Race start at Buriram is scheduled for 19:00 AEDT.
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