Marc Marquez has conceded that he is now in the hunt for this year's MotoGP world title following his Czech Grand Prix win.
The defending champion sealed a second consecutive grand prix win at Brno on Sunday, moving into fourth place in the points table. With leader Marco Bezzecchi failing to score all weekend, Marquez closed the gap to 40 points.
Marquez's surge comes mere weeks after he missed two races for surgery, prompting many to write off his title chances. But the factory Ducati rider's form over the last two race weekends in Hungary and Czechia, combined with some self-destructive blunders by Bezzecchi and his Aprilia team, have suddenly brought him into the reckoning.
Having slashed the gap by 32 points at Brno, not even Marquez could wheel out his well-worn claims that he wasn't even thinking about the championship.
"I mean, one month and a half [ago], I was completely over [the championship]," said Marquez when pressed to admit that he was in the game. "I mean, I was in the hospital and more than 100 points behind.
"Now - I don't know why - I'm 40 points behind the leader. So we are in the game."
What will be even more concerning for those ahead of Marquez - Bezzecchi, Jorge Martin and Fabio Di Giannantonio - is that this win came on a clockwise circuit. That's a further indication that Marquez's right arm and shoulder are well and truly on the mend.
"It's a super important victory in the right corner [clockwise] circuit. It's something special - I was looking for it."
Nor did the canny Marquez miss the opportunity to remind his rivals that his body remained a limitation despite today's victory.
"Today, in the last part of the race, the bike was able to be faster," he said in the press conference. "I was just not able to push the limit."
The 33-year-old maintains that he hopes to be at his physical best only after the summer break, when he said he would like to be able to switch to "attack mode".
Photos from Czech GP - Sunday
46 MotoGP
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
Czech GP - Sunday, in photos
