Marquez: Honda support ‘priceless’ in signing new deal

Marc Marquez said it was the size of the support and not the cheque that meant he never remotely considered quitting Honda at the end of 2014.

The Spaniard clinched a new two-year deal ahead of the previous round in Le Mans, admitting it would have been foolish to turn his back on HRC after just two years with the Japanese powerhouse.

Marquez is now almost certainly the highest paid rider in MotoGP, with his record-breaking exploits in 2013 and the early part of the current campaign making him the sport’s hottest property ina generation.

But he said the size of his salary was not even a consideration when negotiating his extended contract.

The 21-year-old, who has not been beaten in qualifying or race in the opening five rounds of 2014, said: “I’m 21 and not looking at the salary. My priority is the performance of the bike and team.

“It is great to have a very powerful factory behind you. I am the number one choice of the factory and if you have the confidence from a brand as big as Honda, then this is priceless.”

Marquez also hinted that he sees no reason to take on a new challenge when his new deal expires at the end of 2016.

That’s when sweeping new technical rules will be introduced, including a new official tyre supplier and a switch to controlled electronics.

Marquez said he trusts HRC will not be caught out by the new regulations and he added: “Everything is going very well at the moment, but with some big changes coming for 2016, anything can happen and another bike might be better.

“But Honda gives me a lot of confidence that they will be strong as always and because of that I feel very comfortable with them.”