Marc Marquez will make his long anticipated MotoGP return tomorrow during FP1, and has ‘butt🍸erflies in the stomach’, tha﷽t he says are ‘not normally’ the case. 

The 2021 MotoGP season ꦓhas gotten off to a thrilling start in Qatar, with two different winners and a first time championship leader. 

However, t𝓰he grid is now complete once again, as six-time premier class worl🅺d champion Marquez is back in the fold. 

As expected, the Repsol Honda rider was the main focus during today’s Official Portuguese Grand Prix press conference, and speaking about his return, Marquez said: "Of course it’s really nice to be back and be here with all of you because i💯t was nine months away that was really hard, really difficult. 

"Tomorrow it is time to make the most important step in my rehabilitation which is riding🥀 ag൲ain a MotoGP bike. It is true that I’m nervous. 

"I’m nervous, and I have some butterflies in the stomach that are not normal in me. But I know that after FP1 this will be gone, and now is time to enjoy being on♑ the bike again. 

"I will be not be the same Marc from FP1; I will need time because ಌI’m still in my rehabi✤litation, and there are two different things. 

"One is the physical side and the other is the mental side. B🔯ut I’🃏m really happy to be here and to ride again my bike."

The time away for Marquez is by far the longest stretch without competit꧋ive racing in his career to date. 

But while the 28 year-old had ‘doubts’ ab🌱out ever racing again, he stated that those close to him, and his opt꧅imistic mindset were the things that helped him the most during the time away. 

"It was really diffꩲicult to take the decision not to race in Qatar one and Qatar two, because I feel ready, but not 100%, so the doctors decided to stop me and of course I just f🉐ollowed their advice," said Marquez.

"But it was a hard nine months with the doubt. No just the doubts whether I will ride again, but also the doubts about if I will have a normal arm🍌 again. 

"I was always optimistic, and this was the key point. Especially th𒁃e people around me helped a lot to keep the motivation and have the target to ride a b༺ike again."

Marquez will be returning to a Honda bike that has struggled migh💃tily in his a🤪bsence. 

Pol Espargaro is the highest placed Hon🗹da ಌrider in the championship on 11 points, but since Marquez suffered his season ending injury in 2020, Repsol Honda have only accumulated two podiums, which came from Alex Marquez at Le Mans and Aragon. 

Speaking ab📖out Honda’s difficulties without him, Marquez added: "Honda is obviously not in the best situation. I already speak with the Jap✨anese staff and they are working really hard to understand where is the problem. 

"Because in the end the💮 main target is to find a bike compromise that all the riders can be fast or have a good level. 

"Honda have real𒈔ly good riders like Pol Espargaro, that already achieved great results with KTM, Nakagami who has already many years with the MotoGP bike, and my brother who is a champion of Mo🐷to2. 

"So the ridꦆers are there, but still they are struggling in the same points from when I left the bike which are to understand the confidence on the front tyre, to crash le﷽ss and find the limit. All these areas they are working really hard to address."