Repsol Honda riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa defended their actions in today's Valencia MotoGP finale which saw Jorge Lorenzo crowned champion with Marquez denying that he was acting as a ‘bodyguard’ for the Movistar Yamaha man.

"I pushed 100 per cent," Marquez asserted. "But we both (Pedrosa and he) had problems with the tyre, because the temperature was 5C higher than yesterday. When Dani passed me we lost half a second and it was impossible to catch Jorge.

"I tried to fight for the first position, but it was not possible. With my mentality, if people say that I don't try to win, I feel insulted. My target is always to give 100 percent. Dani went wide. I just tried to go inside because I saw that Jorge was opening a gap. I am not happy because today I was trying to prepare to pass in the last two laps."

Pedrosa said: "Yes, I thought I could win. For a lot of time I was not confident because I struggled this weekend with the settings. From the first lap I was bottoming on the front, with full petrol. I tried to calm down because I know we have to control the tyres.

"But I was able to recover in the last seven laps. I checked the tyre with two laps to go, but it was still too hot, and I didn't set my mind too well. I went too wide, and Marc could pass me again.

"I always push to do my best. Everyone knows how hard it is for me to ride these big bikes."