Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez is undeterred despite only qualifying sixth fastest ahead of tomorrow’s Mugello MotoGP.

The Spaniard had set a new lap record during the morning FP3 session and looked as if he was on course for just his second pole position of the season when he eclipsed that further during qualifying.

However Valentino Rossi and others managed to go even faster, demoting Marquez to the outside of the second row.

Despite starting from sixth position, the 25-year-old was happy with his days work and isn’t concerned about his pace.

“I’m happy with today, even if we’ll start sixth tomorrow, as I wasn’t able to put together the best lap,” said Marquez.

Marquez did reiterate his comments from yesterday that the front tyre options are on the soft side for what works best with him and his Repsol Honda RC213V, explaining the asymmetric tyre provided isn’t what he likes, but the only option he has for tomorrow’s race.

“For me, the front tyre I will chose the hard option tomorrow but it is a strange tyres because it’s an asymmetric tyre, so the left side is softer than the medium and the right side is harder. I don’t like but it’s the only option that I have to finish the race, so I will go with the hard option on the front,” he said.

“And for the rear, basically some riders will be with the soft rear but I think I will use the medium. Because the race distance will be important and tomorrow looks like it will be even warmer.”

At one point in qualifying Marquez was four tenths faster than the fastest time, but he decided to abort the lap, when asked why, Marquez said it was down to a huge moment at the back end of the circuit the cameras didn’t pick up.

“I don’t think the cameras was there but a big save in Arabbiata two, where I lose the front,” he explained.

“But I already knew before that I was going to struggle [in qualifying]. In the morning I am able to be very fast because I am using the medium tyre which is the good one here, but in the afternoon that’s too soft. I’m able to push the first half of the circuit but when I arrive in the second part of the circuit the tyre is already overheating and I am losing time. But we already knew so this is something we need to manage.

“This weekend I have saved many, many times because the tyres are very soft and then I am playing always in that limit but the qualifying it was a bit like Jerez I didn’t make the best time.”