Marc Marquez had one less Repsol Honda bike at his disposal as the final day of MotoGP testing wound up at Sepang on Sunday.

Setting a further 55 laps to add to the 91 already dispatched across the opening two days, Marquez’ 1’58.666 best lap sat him tenth in the final times, and with work still to do to rival the Ducati power out front.

“Today was the first day that, of course I work on many different things but especially in the morning, we work a little bit more in the small details and is there where I start to be faster and more consistent,” a more confident Marquez reflected. “Some new items, new things and especially concepts.

“Today also was important, we have a new technical manager that is Ken-san [Ken Kawauchi] and was important also for him to understand the concept, to receive information and everything what he ask, I try. In the afternoon, again we try many, many different things about the concept but the feeling becomes a bit better but still we are a bit far - less far than the first or second day but we need to keep working.”

While Marquez kicked off the Sepang test with four RC213V’s in the box, Sunday’s closing day saw decisions made on one of the 2023-spec machines.

“One of the three black bikes was discarded,” the Spaniard confirmed. “Was the most different bike maybe, from the fairings. We concentrate more on the bike that was similar of Valencia test from November. We concentrate there. We try some big things, some small things, some concepts and now it’s time to analyse everything and to do a bigger step in Portimao test.

“The bike have a bit more potential than last year, but the other manufacturers also did another step,” the 29-year-old continued on the progress made so far. “So this is racing. Is always you expect that you will have a step or you will be faster. 

“We are a bit faster, but the others are a bit faster too so in the end, we are in the same position.

“Let’s see, for me the most important in this Malaysia test was my physical condition. I feel really good. Of course, today I start to feel a bit weak, a bit tired, but that was completely normal because our target is the end of month to be ready in Portimao but I was able to ride in a normal way. I was able to ride constant. I was planning to do kind of a long run but it started to rain. Physical condition, I feel good, which for me was the most important because was in my hands this winter and we work in a good way.”