Marc Marquez is using the second half of the MotoGP 2021 season to prepare both himself and his Repsol Honda for a title challenge in 2022.

Having already expressed his frustrations after the StyrianGP with the progress of his recovery during the summer break, Marquez is resolved to the condition ahead of the Austrian return.

“Last weekend about physical condition I expect better but okay, will be not an excuse. We are working and we are improving race by race, so this is important. Is true that this circuit also is one of the most demanding about the physical condition on the right side, on the right arm but anyway, during the weekend I feel okay, I feel comfortable.

“I feel fast on the first race, I feel with a good potential, I was fast and I believe that I was able to finish the race in, not in a top position but fighting with the top-five. On the second race, from the warm up lap, I don’t feel the bike, I feel something strange and even the first laps, a few mistakes but then I didn’t find the pace. I was a half-second slower than before, we will understand tomorrow, if I go out again with the same bike and I’m fast again, the answer will be there.”

Looking ahead to the 2022 Championship, the eight-time world champion is determined both he and his Honda RC213V will return to their former best, and that the work is already well underway to achieve their potential.

“Of course it is the goal and I’m working on myself, on my side, to be better and to come back as before, especially to ride as before. At the moment just I’m not riding in a natural way,” he admitted.

“So this is one goal and then Honda is working hard,” he continued.

“On the summer break they work very hard. They are testing many things on my part of the garage. This also is important, to feel the reaction of your factory.

“Is true that testing a lot of things during a race weekend is not the best way to find the best result on Sunday, but now I don’t have nothing to lose and nothing to win. We are trying to prepare well 2022. To try to prepare well the future. Trying many things, sometimes you get confused during a weekend, but we believe that is the correct way so they are working.

“Is true that all the riders were struggling - I was checking the standings and I’m the leading Honda rider with 50 [points] so that means that Honda riders are struggling and we need to understand. We need to keep working and we need to believe in it, because it looks better race by race.”