Marc Marquez says his comeback MotoGP weekend at the Italian Grand Prix deserved a perfect 10 out of 10 score, although he admitted he was “still far” from where he wished to be.

After missing the Sunday race at Le Mans and the entire Catalan GP due to injury, the factory Ducati rider returned to action at Mugello this weekend and immediately found himself back at the sharp end of the pack.

The reigning champion took risks in Friday practice to earn a direct entry into Q2, before qualifying fourth as the leading Ducati rider. He even briefly led Saturday’s sprint race before finishing fifth, but it was on Sunday where he truly shone, as he battled his physical limitations to grab seventh.

The highlight of his race was a long and intense battle with KTM’s Pedro Acosta, with Marquez doing everything in his power to hold off his countryman before eventually conceding the position.

What Pedro Acosta learned from Marc Marquez fight at Italian GP

Given the reservations he had about his form heading into the weekend, Marquez said he can take immense satisfaction from how he performed at Mugello.

"Honestly, I'm very happy with how the weekend went, and we exceeded expectations," the Ducati rider said. "I had doubts about coming or not, because it's very difficult to drive on this circuit when you're under pressure. But I decided to come and we had a fantastic weekend.

"I showed glimpses of speed, even if only briefly, but I decided to go out there and give it my all, and whatever happened, happened."

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Marquez eventually finished Sunday’s race 10.7s behind winner Marco Bezzecchi and five seconds adrift of his team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, who rounded out the podium in third.

While that represented a sizeable deficit to the front, Marquez is aware rebuilding his form is a gradual process: “I’d give the weekend a ten. Obviously, I don’t like finishing so far behind the winner. But it’s impossible to win without first making it to the podium.

“I still feel I’m far from where I want to be, but we have to see if I can reach that level. If I’m here, it’s to try to extend my career in the championship.”

The Spaniard underwent two separate operations in the wake of his crash in the sprint race at Le Mans earlier this month. The first was a relatively minor procedure to fix his broken toe, but the other one concerned a screw on his shoulder that was intermittently touching a nerve.

Although declared fit to take part in the Italian GP, Marquez was still lacking the full strength he needed for a top result.

“The first thing to do is assess how my shoulders are reacting,” he said. “Today, I ended up with more irritation than usual in the shoulder capsule, which is normal. The goal of the surgery was to improve the condition of the nerve.”

Francesco Bagnaia: Losing Italian GP podium late on would have been a "disaster"

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Both the world championship leader Marco Bezzecchi and Marquez' own team-mate, Francesco Bagnaia, have scoffed at Marc Marquez's claim to be below his best as he returns from a injury layoff at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. 

Following a recent operation on his foot and shoulder, the reigning world champion played down his chances when speaking to media at Mugello on Thursday. But Marc has developed a reputation for not playing a straight hand when speaking about his injury status, and scepticism was not limited to the press corps following his latest comments.

Marquez' factory Ducati team-mate clearly did not expect the Spaniard to be riding cautiously around in the midfield this weekend.

"If he's back, it's because he feels that he can fight," said Bagnaia. "And it's difficult to think Mark [is] here just to take points. 

"I spoke with him this morning. He was feeling quite good. He's not worried about the foot. He's just worried about the arm, the shoulder. But I think it will be strong."

World championship leader Bezzecchi was equally convinced Marc would be back in every sense of the word.

"For sure he will be extra competitive," said the Aprilia rider, who is 85 points ahead of the lurking threat that is Marquez. "Because if he comes back, it means that he's ready. 

"Marc is very smart. So, he knows what to do. And apart from this, I think you can't rule out the current world champion from the title fight. So, for sure he will be there."

How Marc Marquez rates his own fitness ahead of Mugello comeback

Whether Marquez really believes he will not be at his best in Italy, is playing a psychological game or just being cautious with his statements, only he and those closest to him will know.

Timing and scoring will answer the most important questions once the action begins at Mugello today.

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