Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez said he had settled for second behind Danilo Petrucci at the Misano MotoGP round but then changed his mind and pushed for the win because five points might be crucial at the Valencia season finale.

Marquez is tied on points with Andrea Dovizioso at the top of the championship standings with five races left, and the Repsol Honda man decided to attack Danilo Petrucci on the final lap as those five points might make all the difference.

“During the race the feeling was changing a little bit. At the start I was struggling a little more. The in the second part of the race I was OK but in the last part of the race is when I felt better,” said Marquez, speaking at Misano.

“In one point I started to think about the championship and I say maybe second position is enough, but then I started to think more and I said I have the potential, I feel I will try because you never know – these five points you never know if you will miss or not in the last round in Valencia.

“During the race I was trying to follow Danilo and all the riders. The warm-up crash was a good crash because if not, I think I would crash during the race. That crash gives me a warning and then I was just trying to follow Danilo very quiet – maybe sometimes I have a little bit more, but always trying to control and push in the points where I felt good.

“And then on the last lap I prepare really well. On the last three laps, already I had the possibility to overtake him, but then I say I don’t want to fight with Danilo here in Misano. For that reason I overtake him and I pushed my 100 per cent. For me, it was better to take the risk for one lap than to take the risk in the corners.”