The Honda rider is a seven-time polesitter and seven-time race winner at the Circuit of the Americas and was expected to have a strong return to action this weekend having missed the Argentine round with vision problems he suffered as a result of a violent crash in Indonesia.
But Marquez could only qualify ninth on Saturday, which is his worst-ever showing in a COTA qualifying.
He had been on course to put in a solid lap time that would have lifted him up the order, but he backed out of it and admits he was “lucky” to even get ninth with his “worst lap”.
“I didn’t believe in myself in the qualy,” Marquez said. “During all weekend I worked very well, I worked nice in my rhythm, in my pace.
“But then in the qualy I go out, there was some traffic.
“Then I didn’t want to push and then I didn’t want to believe in myself.
“It was only my mistake. Also on the second tyre we had some issues, it was not just my mistake.
“We had some issues with the bike, so for…
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