Marquez says he would rather be elsewhere but will race Qatar Grand Prix

Marc Marquez has said he would rather be somewhere else than the Qatar Grand Prix, but that riders understand they must honour their contracts. He had been among the strongest opponents of the race given the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, and Yamaha withdrew from the event.

At the opening press conference Marquez exchanged words with Marco Bezzecchi, who teased him about arriving after all the fuss. Marquez replied that there was no other way, as otherwise the rival would have been given free points. He said he had taken the last possible flight in and would leave on the first one, but that he was ready to race and focused.

Marquez, who has a first match point for the title, said he does not feel he will clinch the championship this weekend, as he would need to win both races and his rivals would have to make mistakes. He added that there are three Grands Prix remaining and that his mindset is unchanged from Malaysia.