Jorge Lorenzo concedes he could have "thrown in the towel" after a frustrating two-year spell at Ducati, but the three-time MotoGP champion feels rejuvenated and once again ready to challenge the supremacy of title-holder Marc Marquez - his new Honda stablemate.
Marquez has taken the sport by storm since his 2013 debut in the top category, winning the championship in five of the past six seasons, with fellow Spaniard Lorenzo standing between him and perfection having captured the 2015 title.
Yet injury clouds hover over both ahead of this weekend's season-opener in Qatar. Marquez has rated his fitness at "almost 100 percent" following a gruelling rehabilitation from December shoulder surgery, while Lorenzo missed the first pre-season test at Sepang after fracturing his wrist in a dirt bike crash.
Marquez has won just once among the elite at the Losail circuit in Doha, a venue where Lorenzo has triumphed on six occasions across three categories -- including a hat-trick of MotoGP victories.
"This winter has been different due to the surgery, I worked hard with five hours of physio per day with only one goal: start in the best conditions in the first race of the year," the 26-year-old Marquez said.
"At the Qatar test I felt much better than at the Malaysia test and now I can say that I start at almost 100 percent." "Honda have done a lot to improve the bike and in the test we were feeling strong, especially for a circuit which usually isn't the best for us," he added.
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