Marquez: No Honda rider close to victory in MotoGP
Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez admits “I don’t see any Honda rider close to victory” right now, following the opening day of the French Grand Prix.
Honda has had a tough start to the 2021 campaign, with none of its riders so far having made it to the podium in any of the opening four races.
HRC put most of its riders through a busy testing schedule at the post-race test following the Spanish GP, having recently admitted it is facing problems with its 2021 RC213V.
Friday at Le Mans proved to be a strong day for Honda riders, with Pol Espargaro fourth fastest, while Marquez was eighth and LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami 10th – with poor Saturday weather set to lock in the trio directly into Q2 in qualifying.
Despite the strong start, Marquez admits he thinks Honda is still far away from ending a victory drought dating back to the 2019 Valencia GP.
“Last year my brother Alex came close to winning in Aragon and in the race here [in France],” Marquez said.
“For Pol [Espargaro] Le Mans is a circuit he is good at, he will go fast; Nakagami was also fast at Jerez.
"But honestly I don't see any Honda rider close to victory.
“The first objective must be to make a podium and, above all, to put more riders inside the top five or eight.
“But I have full confidence and I'm sure that between now and the end of the year there will be some Honda victories.”
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Commenting on his own day, Marquez admitted he was “struggling” in the dry conditions of FP2 due to his recovering physical condition following his nine-month injury layoff.
“My day was a standard day for my comeback,” he said.
“In wet conditions I feel not bad at all. It’s true it’s less demanding regarding physical condition and I’m feeling much better.
“On dry, I was struggling. I was riding and I stop in the box and I see P8 [on the timing screens], I said ‘Ok, better’.
“But I was starting to try a few things on the bike, also in the second run, and it was not that the bike wasn’t working.
“My feeling wasn’t good and then I stopped, I thought it was a problem on the bike but it was my problem.
“So, I’m still not precise on the comments. But this is my job, I need to improve there.
“About the new tyres, I just ride, I take care on Turn 1 to Turn 3, I take care on change of direction because I was struggling a bit, and on the hard braking points like Turn 8 I was struggling a bit.
“But apart from that, we know where we are and even like this we were able to be not very far from the top guys.”
Related video
Rossi buoyed by MotoGP test gains at Le Mans
MotoGP French Grand Prix qualifying - Start time, how to watch & more
2022 MotoGP title fight now “very tight”, says Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes the current MotoGP championship picture following the British Grand Prix has set up “a very, very tight” title battle.
Pol Espargaro doesn’t think Honda is reacting to MotoGP woes
Pol Espargaro isn’t sure the problems Honda is facing at races in MotoGP this season are being relayed back to Japan as “we’re not getting the material we need”.
Marc Marquez to return to MotoGP paddock at Austrian GP for Honda progress update
Marc Marquez will return to the MotoGP paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix to check up on Honda’s progress as he continues his own rehabilitation.
Rins “destroyed” after “not normal” grip issues end Silverstone MotoGP win hopes
Suzuki’s Alex Rins says he was “destroyed” after a “not normal” drop in grip shuffled him from the lead of the MotoGP British Grand Prix to seventh by the end.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special