Marc Marquez could’ve had a podium in the Brazilian MotoGP without the track “coming loose”, he has suggested.

Marquez was running in fourth place for most of the race in Brazil, but passed Fabio Di Giannantonio for third with five laps to go.

However, shortly after he slid out at turn 11 where the track surface was breaking apart.

Marquez said afterwards that the result meant he couldn’t be satisfied with his weekend, MotoGP's first in Brazil since 2004..

“When you're off the podium, you're never happy,” Marquez said, as reported by GPOne.

“I tried to improve throughout the weekend, from yesterday's Sprint to today's race. 

“In the end, we brought home important points for the championship on a track that worried me a bit, especially because of the many right-hand turns. 

“Today, the podium was possible, but unfortunately I made a mistake in a turn where the asphalt was peeling off. 

“I lost the front end because I pushed too hard. As I said, though, this was an acceptable weekend.”

About the moment that cost him third place, Marquez added: “The asphalt is coming loose. In general, the conditions allowed us to continue but if you went over that spot, which was right in the racing line, it became very easy to lose grip. 

“When I hit it, I lost the front end.”

Marquez said that he stopped pushing to catch Di Giannantonio after the slide at turn 12.

“After that mistake I decided not to push too hard,” he said.

“I knew Di Giannantonio was behind me and would attack me, so it was better to collect points than risk a crash.”