Marc Márquez celebrated another podium finish last weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix, a significant achievement at Honda’s home race before his departure. The Japanese Grand Prix was marked by unpredictable weather, with rain playing a significant role. The MotoGP race was declared a ‘flag to flag’ right from the first lap and was eventually cut short due to a red flag because of the track conditions.
However, the spotlight was on Marc Márquez, who was celebrating another podium finish. As he returned to his pit box, trophy in hand, he humorously shared an unexpected situation he encountered. “I’ve been selected for antidoping,” he exclaimed, much to the disbelief of his team members. “They can’t believe it. A podium and an antidoping test. That’s why I took so long,” he added.
Despite the unexpected antidoping test, Márquez was able to celebrate his third-place finish, a feat he hadn’t achieved in 350 days. It’s worth noting that even though Márquez finished third in the Sprint Race in Portimao and India, only the results from the main Sunday race are officially counted. Nonetheless, Márquez left Japan with a positive feeling. “Thank you, guys. It went well, right? Did you enjoy it? I didn’t,” he joked.
Later, with emotions more settled, Márquez reflected on his recent string of good results. He expressed caution, suggesting that these results might not be a true reflection of Honda’s current situation. He was quoted by Autosport saying, “No. I mean, I’d like to say yes. I’ll try to do my best, as always, but it will be more challenging. Still, we should enjoy the good moments.” Márquez also commented on the title battle between Jorge Martín and Pecco Bagnaia, whom he had the chance to observe in recent races, especially in Japan. “It was incredible. When you’re fighting for a championship, in these conditions, I know how it feels. They had a great race, they’re battling, showing extra concentration and push. Besides, it was nice to see the duel between these two guys,” he concluded.