Marc Marquez expressed some disappointment after seeing his slim 2024 title chances slip away following an engine failure that forced him to retire from the Indonesian Grand Prix.

After slicing his way up from 12th on the grid to take third in Saturday’s sprint race, Marquez was poised for another strong result on Sunday. He was running seventh when his Ducati gave out on lap 12.

With two wins in the last three races sparking hopes for a late-season push towards a seventh MotoGP title, Marquez now finds himself 78 points behind Jorge Martin. With just five rounds left, he’s come to terms with being out of the title race.

“I’m disappointed, but my 2024 goals are already achieved,” Marquez said. He has secured a spot with the factory Ducati team alongside Francesco Bagnaia for 2025. “Now, I’m just setting new goals with each race. I’m focused on building consistency, and I was doing that this weekend. The next challenge is to improve in qualifying, so I’m going to be fully locked in at the next race to get on one of those first two rows. That’s my goal now.”

Marquez’s early progress in the race was slowed by a fierce battle with Fabio di Giannantonio, but he still felt confident he could match eventual podium finisher Bagnaia.

“Unfortunately, it was an engine failure,” he said. “That’s out of our control, but these things happen. It was just unlucky today. But whether we win or lose, we do it together—me, Ducati, and Gresini. Today, we had a problem, but I felt strong all weekend, and that’s what matters. I was right in the mix for the first part of the race, and that kind of battle just costs you time. But I had the pace to stay close to Pecco, and my target of third or at least top five was within reach.”

The GP23’s engine failure also led to a fire that left the bike damaged, and Marquez admits it’ll be a challenge for the Gresini team to get the bike ready for Japan in just a few days.

“There was a loud noise, and then the engine cut out. But when I saw the white smoke, I knew right away there was a fire,” he said. “It’s a shame because the fire extinguishers they have here weren’t the right kind, so the bike was totally ruined. It’s a real blow for the team because, for a private outfit, that’s a big financial hit.”