Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez explained that a sickness bug is holding him back with the Spaniard only able to finish sixth fastest on his Repsol Honda during the opening day of free practice in Mugello.

The Spaniard topped the morning session, however, with times dropping in the afternoon and despite putting a soft rear tyre in for a final time attack, Marquez was unable to improve on his earlier time, leaving him 0.330 seconds behind Pecco Bagnaia’s fastest time of the day.

“Today we need to consider I was not on my 100 percent,” explained Marquez.

“I was riding in a strange way. I was not concentrating 100 percent because I was sick and was difficult to understand everything, but we work for the race distance.

“When you’re not 100 percent physically, especially when you have a fever be fast because you have the instincts, you understand the bike, concentrate and to be constant.

“I am a rider that is able to do all laps at 100 percent usually, but today I did some laps at 100 percent, then slowed down to 80 percent because I feel like the reactions and everything were slower than normal, then it’s dangerous.”

Despite feeling under the weather, Marquez said that he feels better today than his did yesterday and he is happy with how his weekend is shaping up.

“We aren’t far and we just need to keep pushing tomorrow,” he said. “It’s Friday and we didn’t put a new tyre in at the end so we are still feeling good.”