Championship leader Marquez topped FP1, FP3 and FP4 during the rain-affected Japanese GP weekend and looked a strong favourite for pole as he initially went almost two seconds clear in the Q2 shoot-out.

But a mid-session decision to switch from wet tyres to slicks denied him an opportunity to improve, allowing Tech 3 Yamaha's Johann Zarco and Pramac Ducati's Danilo Petrucci to overhaul his benchmark on fresh wets.

In the post-qualifying press conference, Marquez said the switch to slicks was a last-second decision that allowed him to “understand many things”.

“Of course was too early [for slicks] in the end, when we finish the practice we realise, but in the end I did a good laptime in the first lap already with the soft [rear wet] tyre," he said.

“I was thinking to put the extra-soft [rear wet tyres] to improve the laptime. But when I stop in the box, I take the gamble. I say 'okay, I want to try slick' because was so close.

“I try, I understand many things, interesting things, but in the end I couldn't have the chance to fight for pole position.

“But for me was not the most important. In the end, work for the race is important, front row was the main target.

“We are there, so we'll see tomorrow because during all weekend I feel good on the rain conditions but tomorrow can be flag-to-flag, can be dry, you never know.”

Asked by Motorsport.com whether he expected his initial laptime to be good enough for pole, Marquez said: “No, because I knew, and I check on the other practice, that with the extra soft they [other riders] were improving a lot.

“But on the other hand I knew that also was a laptime for be on the first row, or maximum second row.

“Of course I would like to be on pole, honestly, but in the end also always I see the positive things and I understand things that maybe without trying the slicks I couldn't understand.”

Rossi learned little from slicks

The only other rider to use slicks in Q2 was Yamaha's Valentino Rossi, who was 10 seconds off the pace in his initial run, and could not move up from 12th despite a late switch to wets.

Rossi explained he took a risk with the tyre selection because he expected his Yamaha bike to struggle for rear grip on a drying track surface in qualifying.

“We try to risk because have already some dry line so I want to try to put temperature in the tyres," he said. “Unfortunately, was still too wet and also didn't dry up quick so needed too much time.”

On whether his tyre gamble could pay dividends in the race, Rossi said: “No, because it was really close to [becoming] dry but unfortunately not enough.

“You have to go very slow, and when you go very slow the problem is that the temperature of the tyre go down a lot - and after it is very difficult to come back to a normal grip. So no, no way.”

Additional reporting by Oriol Puigdemont and Jamie Klein