Marquez returns to his happy hunting ground

Bengaluru, October 10: MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez of Spain heads to Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi brimming with confidence.

Victory at the previous round in Aragon, his home race, extended the Repsol Honda rider's championship lead to 16 points over nearest rival Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati.

A further 28 points behind is Movistar Yamaha rider and compatriot Maverick Vinales.

Marc has had good results at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in the past and is only one of the two riders (the other being his Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa) to have won at Motegi in all three classes of MotoGP.

The Motegi race is the first in a challenging three-race back-to-back flyaway stint which is followed by Australia and Malaysia.

It is also Honda's home Grand Prix and Marquez, who tweeted a picture of his visit to Honda office, sounded upbeat after his arrival at a circuit which has been his happy hunting ground.

Ya en Japón! Visitando la sede de Honda! / Already in Japan! Visiting Honda Office! #JapaneseGP #Honda #Tokyo (📸 by @MotoGP) pic.twitter.com/QxPcZnl827

— Marc Márquez (@marcmarquez93) October 10, 2017

"There are four GPs to go in the season, and we must give 100 per cent at every one, starting with the three flyaway rounds. I've some great memories in Japan, because I won here last year and got the title there twice, " said Marquez, recalling the twin victories in 2014 and 2016 which helped him annex the world title.

The Twin Ring Motegi circuit also celebrates a special milestone this year, which is the 20th anniversary of its opening.

"Track conditions in Motegi can vary dramatically, and we'll have to work hard on the setup to find a good compromise for the hard acceleration and braking. We'll give our best effort and push hard to get another good result in front of Honda's home fans," added Marquez.

Marquez at Motegi

Has 3 wins: 1×125 (2010), 1xMoto2 (2012), 1xMotoGP (2016)

3 podiums

2 pole positions