Marc Marquez leads the MotoGP World Championship by 16 points at the half-way mark. Image: MotoGP.com.

As he racks up the records, Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez has made a rare admission that he is now starting to think of the bigger picture and the possibility of claiming the MotoGP crown in his rookie season.

The 2012 Moto2 World Champion has oft shyed away from suggestions that he could become the first to achieve the feat since Kenny Roberts in 1978, but indicated after Laguna Seca that he hadn’t expected to be in such a favourable position at the mid-point of the season.

Fresh from a second consecutive victory and his third overall of the season, the Repsol Honda rider knows there is plenty more work ahead of him if he is to hold the points advantage over rival riders.

“Why not?” he said when questioned about the possibility of taking the title. “It will be difficult but I didn’t expect to be in this situation before the start of the season and it is good news.

“At the moment the most important thing is I feel so good on the bike and that is good. It is important to go into the summer break with that feeling and we will see how is the second part of the season.”

Marquez knows the relatively uncontested grand prix victories in Germany and Laguna Seca will be rare once his teammate Dani Pedrosa and defending MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo are back to full health.

“I am interested to see how my level is with Dani and Jorge when they are 100 percent because then I think it will be a little more different,” he said.

“In Germany and Laguna we had a big opportunity to win the races and we did and that means we are in a good way.”

Marquez’ non-finish at the Italian Grand Prix is the only occasion he has finished off the podium in his first year in the premier class.

He heads into the three-week break with a 16-point lead over Pedrosa, with Lorenzo a further 10 points in arrears.