Two numbers sum up the enormity of Marc Márquez’s comeback ride at COTA on Sunday. At the end of the first lap, after an electronics glitch put him last going into Turn 1, he was 4.387 seconds behind the leader. At the chequered flag he was 6.617 seconds behind the winner, despite passing and sometimes repassing 18 riders during the 20 laps.

True, COTA is his favourite racetrack, which is one reason he wanted to return there, because he knew it would be a good place to rebuild his confidence after last month’s Indonesian GP, which he described as the worst of his career: four crashes, including the huge highside that triggered the double vision that has plagued him recently.

The 29-year-old’s indomitable spirit makes some people concerned for his wellbeing. But this is who he is and this is what he wants to do. Like he said after pre-season testing – “I want more motorbike” – because motorcycles and racing are his life.

Márquez has made so many comebacks over the last few years that every time he’s forced to go home to lick his wounds many wonder if he will be able to pull himself together and return to risk everything in pursuit of his goals: more GP wins and more world titles.

“Coming from one of my worst weekends, I’m trying to get some confidence back”

Of course there were moments last winter when it all seemed like it might be over and there were moments when he wondered if he should take a year off to ensure the diplopia doesn’t return.

“I asked my doctor what will happen if I stop for one year and he said the impact was huge [in Indonesia] and I will have the same risk this weekend, the same in one year, or in three years,” Márquez said on Friday. “It’s a nerve that moved a bit when I had the impact. Now it’s one of my weak points. I cannot think that I cannot crash. I know it’s a risk, but it’s my passion and I’m here to race, not to think about the injury.”

Friday went pretty well but on Saturday he said something he’s never said before, at least not in public. During his first qualifying run he was on a fast lap – pushing the limits to the max – when he rolled out of it. Why?

“I didn’t believe in myself,” he said after qualifying. “Coming from one of my worst weekends, my biggest highside and all these things, it’s normal to feel some doubts in myself but I’m trying to get some confidence back. I cannot approach the weekend in attack mode.

“So far I’ve done a strange weekend, because it’s the only way for me to survive all weekend. On Friday I only pushed on single laps, the same in FP2. FP4 was the first time I rode a normal practice, pushing a bit, try to understand my pace. Then when we fitted new tyres in qualifying I didn’t feel so good, so I didn’t push like I want.”

The 2022 COTA MotoGP race was epic in many ways: the Ducati squadron up front, Álex Rins dancing his way between the Desmosedici on the Suzuki and Márquez charging through the pack.

Of course, it all started with a nightmare for the seven-times COTA winner.

“When I arrived at the start I already saw an alarm [on the dash],” he added. “The bike was crazy and I thought something big was wrong. It was like the pit limiter, so I checked in case I had put on the pit limiter but I hadn’t. The alarm stayed all the race but luckily for us when I arrived at the first corner and the holeshot device disengaged the bike was more or less good, but not perfect.

“From there it became another race for me. I said I will give everything, I know that even if I ride 100% every lap it will be impossible to finish in a good place but I gave everything, then with five or six laps remaining my body said, ‘OK, that’s it’. Then I just tried to finish the race.

“We got a lot of confidence from this race, which was my target: try not to have any crashes because I’m still scared about my head, because the impact was only three weeks ago.