Marc Marquez says his second-place in the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix was made possible by Honda's more powerful engine, after "struggling a lot" in Sunday's 2019 season-opener.
Marquez kicked off his title defence by engaging in a repeat of the battle he and Andrea Dovizioso enjoyed in Qatar one year ago, with the Spaniard once again coming off second-best after a failed last-lap lunge on the Ducati rider.
Missing victory by just 0.023 seconds, Marquez admits he “felt better” on the bike in last year's race because of the nature of the tyre allocation, and says Honda's new engine – which regularly topped the speedtraps this weekend – “gave” him second place.
“The engine gave me the second position, because last year I had a better pace, and last year I felt better on the chassis side,” he said.
![Isack Hadjar [pictured] has deferred to Max Verstappen for Day 2 of the F1 pre-season test. Image: Red Bull Content Pool](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Isack-Hadjar-Red-Bull-test-2026-120x86.webp)
“But it's only because the front tyre allocation was different and I was able to use the harder one.
“But this is something I don't complain about, because in some races it [the tyre allocation] will be good for us; some races it will be better for another manufacturer.”
Marquez also attributed his podium pace to a “very strange”, never-before-tried set-up on his RC213V, which forced him into using a “very strange riding style.”
“I was riding in a strange way this weekend.
“Not because of my physical condition, but because of the track and the conditions of the track.
“In one lap I was [able] to ride my way, but then I was struggling a lot.
“I was struggling a lot with the front tyres, so for that reason we change [the set-up]. Was a very strange set-up for us, we never use [it before], a very strange riding style.
“But it worked, so I'm happy because when we need to survive, we can survive, and today we scored 20 points.”
With the Qatar Grand Prix marking the first time his recovering left shoulder had completed a race distance, Marquez says the slow pace made his physical situation “easy”.
“Of course for physical condition the race was 'easy' because the pace was very slow in the beginning, and the race was much better for physical condition and the tyres,” Marquez, who admitted he “prayed” for a slow pace prior to the race, added.
“So for the shoulder… you feel the muscles are working a different way, but now I have two weeks more [before the next race] to prepare well. But on riding style it's ok.”
![Isack Hadjar [pictured] has deferred to Max Verstappen for Day 2 of the F1 pre-season test. Image: Red Bull Content Pool](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Isack-Hadjar-Red-Bull-test-2026-350x250.webp)
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