Pressure. A dreaded word in the world of sport. It’s how you respond to it that makes or breaks the individual or a team. Marc Marquez is all too familiar with it.   
The Spaniard made a dramatic entry into the elite world of MotoGP. He won the title in his debut season, becoming the youngest-ever to do so too. He followed it up with a title the next year. In 2015, however, he could ‘only’ finish third.
The season that saw a lot of drama and the incidents in the last race will only add to the pile of pressure that Marquez must be already under. The 23-year-old (Yes, that young!) however doesn’t quite believe so. “Honestly, last year I had more pressure. Because when you are a champion, you start the season as one and everybody expects you to become a champion again. This year we start in third place. Both Yamaha riders are in front of me. I feel less pressure. We will try to use this advantage and win races,” said Marquez during a visit to the Honda showroom here in Qatar. The MotoGP rider is here in Qatar for the final three days of testing before the season kicks off at the Losail Circuit on March 20.    
Such has been the dominance of Marquez and Honda since he burst onto the scene in 2013 that he’s simply expected to win every race.  Last season there was a drop in form and injuries took its toll too. This year, in the tests so far, Honda weren’t that dominant. In fact, it was on the final day, on a crash-filled day in Phillip Island that Marquez topped the sheets. And the No. 93 reveals that his RC213V is not the best machine this season but believes that playing it smart can help him reclaim the title. “I know that it will be difficult and we will not have the best bike during all the races. But we must understand this and try to attack when we think that we can win the race,” said Marquez.  
“I know that some circuits, like here in Qatar, we will be struggling a little bit more and try to be smart and understand that it’s not possible (to be faster than everybody)  and we must give our 100 per cent to finish on the podium or take maximum points for the championship,” said the two-time MotoGP world champion.
The RC213V has not been an easy pony to tame. But the Repsol Honda rider is satisfied with the improvements made since the first test in Malaysia. “Honestly, when we started in Malaysia, I did not feel so good. We had a lot of problems in the first test with the engine and electronics. And I didn’t feel good with the chassis balance with the Michelin tyres. Then in Australia it was much better. We improved a few steps.”
And during the ongoing testing in Qatar, Marquez hopes to do more tuning and give himself the best chance to make a good start to the season.  “Qatar will be a good test because I like it here. We always struggle during the race but we will try to find the best setup, start the season in a good way and fight for the championship.”
While a few injuries held him back last season, Marquez is leaving ‘no weight unturned’ to ensure that he’s in prime physical condition when the season takes off.  “This year from the 1st of January I have trained a lot, trying to be fit and trying to be ready to fight for the championship because that’s what I want, No?,” he says with that innocent smile.