Marquez says he won't be 100 percent in Qatar test

Marc Marquez says he expects to be "very close" to 100 percent fit for the final MotoGP test in Qatar following his injury at Jerez.

The reigning world champion dislocated his right shoulder last weekend when he crashed at 200km/h at the end of a private test at the Spanish circuit.

Marquez said the test, where Honda tested a revised engine, had been positive, but admitted he may still feel some discomfort in Qatar next week.

"Jerez was a positive test, because we tried this new bike on a shorter, smaller circuit and it was really interesting," he said on Friday during a Movistar TV event in Barcelona.

"At the end of the day I crashed because the temperature was getting colder and I lost the front and injured my shoulder. This time it was the good one, because normally it's the left one.

"It was the right one this time, but step by step I'm getting better and better and maybe in the Qatar test I will not be 100 percent but very, very close."

The final pre-season test takes place in Qatar on March 10-12.

The Spaniard says his team is in much better shape than it was at this point last year, but concedes Honda has not made much progress since the end of last season so far.

"Maybe the Honda we have right now is the one with which we finished last year, that is, the best Honda we had last year," he added.

"At this point last year we were very far, pretty lost. But this time we've started with a pretty good base."

Marquez has also refused to rule out Jorge Lorenzo from the victory fight in the season-opening race in Qatar, despite his difficult start to life as a Ducati rider.

"Maybe he's not having the kind of pre-season he had with Yamaha but I think in Qatar it's not crazy to think he can win. The Ducati is good, he's good, but at the end it's about being consistent all year long."