Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez returned to his Texas best setting the fastest Friday practice time to head the MotoGP standings at the Austin track.

With his stellar record still intact as the American weekend kicks off, Marquez was surprised by his own performance after struggling with the RC213V’s feeling and has reservations regarding the current state of one of his favourite circuits.

“Honestly, the feeling on the bike was not so good but then when I stopped in the box, I saw that I was in front,” Marquez explained of his surprising Friday. “If I understand my feeling on the bike, I say ‘I’m not riding well’ but then I stop in the box and I see that I was in the top and yeah, it’s strange.

“Is true that I’m happy, but I’m happy because the result, but not because the performance and the feeling,” he continued. “I mean, the feeling is not the best one. It’s true that one of my strong points was sector one in the past, and now I’m losing a lot there. Specific on 3, 4, 5, I cannot change direction. But yeah the lap time arrived. I hope tomorrow will rain a little bit more in some practice because like this, I will survive better during all weekend.

“It’s true about the bumps, is a circuit that I love, layout that I like but bumps are in the limit,” he explained turning his attention to the controversial condition of the 5.5km demanding track - with multiple riders having voiced their concerns on Friday evening.

“The conditions of the track, the surface, is in the limit,” he admitted. “The problem is not real bumps, it’s like the surface is moving, and then it’s so difficult. But apart from that, is true that it’s a physical track, and today just I did single laps and they were - even when you are fit in this racetrack is difficult to finish the race in a good way, but we will see.

“The back straight helps a lot, now you can relax a bit, because they resurface there and it’s not bumpy and then you can relax a bit there, but is a physical racetrack. At the moment let’s see tomorrow, try to keep the same level, try to improve because the others will improve, and try to do a step on Saturday and Sunday.

“Of course, now, the levels of the tracks in the world championship, in the MotoGP championship is really high and the surfaces, always is really nice. I remember that when I went to Laguna Seca 2013 also was really bumpy. In Indianapolis also was some bumps, then they resurface and was much better, but in some years was bumpy like now, like here.

“It’s true and I’m agree that is in the limit. Every year is getting worse and worse, and they need to understand why, but it’s difficult to fix the problem because for me it’s not like bump from the asphalt. It’s like bumps from the ground, I mean the ground is moving by the storms? I don’t know why, but is moving and then you need to adapt. Some lines you need to understand well, when it’s coming that difference on the ground.”