If we roll back the tapes to a year ago, this time Marc Marquez is leaving Valencia with peace of mind after two days of tests. Compared with the past, the new bike instils confidence in number 93. There is only one aspect that seems to concern him, because on the road that leads to his sixth title, he will find a new rival, Maverick Viñales.

It was the Honda standard-bearer himself who indicated him as one of the primary contenders. At the end of the day, the Spaniard is the first of the followers, just a tenth of a second behind his compatriot.

“I think it was a good day where we obtained some positive indications. I worked on a comparison between the two bikes and I must say that the 2017 is an improvement. Obviously there are some negative and positive aspects that we will need to focus on.”

Compared with a year ago, things went better.

“I think there has been consistent progress. If I had to make a comparison with last year, the start was better, as well as the starting base. We will see now what we need to do in the future.”

Viñales did a repeat performance, finishing ahead of the rest. Did you expect that?

“Sure, I imagined that he would be this fast and quick. He will be one of the contenders for the next Championship.”

You finished with the second best time. You did not want to make the best time at all costs.

“Today a few riders decided to do a time attack and even use the new Michelin front tyre. I preferred to avoid looking for the fastest time, working more on the bike and getting several long runs in.”

Three positions farther back is his teammate, Daniel Pedrosa. Despite the seven tenths of a second that separate him from the fastest time, the Spaniard managed to finish ahead of Cal Crutchlow’s Honda LCR.

“Today I was able to get in a few more laps with the new bike and compare the characteristics. We concentrated on the tyres, the suspension and the engine maps, obviously without pushing too hard, given my physical condition.”

What are your sensations at the end of the tests?

“I think there are some positive details and some others a bit less positive. In fact, we need to do some work. We will take all the data that we gathered to figure out how to take a step forward with the new bike.”