LONDON, England - Honda was way off the pace on its return to Formula 1 with McLaren but it is sure to be on it in MotoGP when Marc Marquez starts his bid for a third successive crown with Sunday's season-opener in Qatar.
The 22-year-old Spaniard will be favourite again in a gang of four main contenders that includes compatriots Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa as well as 36-year-old Italian great Valentino Rossi.
But the landscape looks different to last year, when Marquez chalked up a record 13 wins for his Repsol Honda team, with the field looking closer and Ducati making a strong comeback.