Marc Marquez hopes his gruelling winter rehabilitation from shoulder surgery can pay off at the 2019 MotoGP season opener as he rate🎀s his fitness🌃 at “almost 100%” for the Qatar round.

The reigning MotoGP world champion has endured a tough winter break since undergoing shoulder surgery in early December, while he was forced to manage his physical state at both pre-season tests in Malaysia and Qatar getting up to ꦓspeed with the 2019-specification Repsol Honda RCV213V.

Marquez has undergone an extensive physiotherapy programme which purely focused on returning him🧸 to full fitness for the opening race of the season. He feels t﷽he progress has been steady but concedes he won’t be at full fitness at the Losail International Circuit this weekend.

“Finally, it’s time to go racing once again,” Marquez saiꦑd🃏. “This winter has been different due to the surgery, I worked hard with five hours of physio per day with only one goal: arrive in the best conditions in the first race of the year.

“At the Qatar Test I 🐻felt much better than at the Malaysia Test and now I can say that I arrive almost 100%.”

Marquez has been꧙ pleased by Honda’s efforts🍌 improving his MotoGP machine, mainly focused on providing a smoother engine and setup which is easier on tyre consumption, and is hopeful of a strong showing in Qatar at a circuit which hasn’t favoured Honda in recent seasons.

“Honda have done a lot to improve the bike and in the test we were feeling strong, especially 🐠for a circuit which usually isn’t the best for us, but we have to keep impro♓ving,” he said.

“Qatar is always a special round, not just because it is the first of the year but also because of the conditions. We will have to pay special attentio🥃n to the temperature and consider everything🌊 before the race.”

Marquez and Honda’s last win in Qatar came back in 2014, when the Spaniard won the opening 10 rouꦓnds of the season, w💮hile the Japanese manufacturer has claimed just three wins from a possible 15 in the premier class since MotoGP first raced at Losail in 2004.

Last year Marquez missed out on vﷺictory to Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso by 🔯just 0.027s in Qatar.