Alex Marquez, who won the title in Moto3 in 2014 and in Moto2 in 2019, made his MotoGP debut aboard the Honda, but will leave it at the end of this season after three years: the first in the Repsol factory team and the other two in the LCR satellite structure. However, there is neither the manufacturer’s interest in renewing nor the rider’s interest in continuing to struggle with a bike he cannot adapt to.
Everything suggests that Alex’s destination will be Ducati, specifically that satellite team of Gresini, with which his agent is trying to close an agreement, most likely this weekend in Assen.
“We fully understand that Alex costs more and more to have the enthusiasm to stay with a bike that unfortunately is not as competitive as it deserves for his work and commitment,” Lucio Cecchinello told Motorsport.com on Thursday. “We will continue to give Alex all the best we can until the end, but it is difficult for him to find motivation if he sees that he has no chance of achieving good results”.
The younger of the Marquez brothers arrived in MotoGP in 2020 in an almost unexpected way, after the announcement of the retirement of Jorge Lorenzo, who had a two-year contract with HRC, concluded after just one year. Honda considered the 2019 Moto2 champion to be the ideal man to complete the official team line-up.
Alex Marquez, LCR Honda Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Unfortunately, Alex did not share a single race in the Repsol Honda team with his older brother, due to the injury Marc had in Jerez that same year. Despite this, he achieved his best results in his debut year, with two second places and a total of 74 points in just 14 races due to the pandemic.
Before starting that season, however, Honda had already announced that Alex would race the next two seasons in the LCR team, its satellite facility. In the 18 races of 2021, the youngest of the Marquezes did not win any podiums, adding 70 points. This year, however, in the first 10 races he collected 26 points, is 18th in the general classification and his best result was a 7th place in Portimao.
As anticipated by Motorsport.com, Alex Marquez’s replacement in the LCR team will be Alex Rins, who currently rides for Suzuki. “We talked to Rins’ agent and we understood a lot of things. I hope that this weekend, here in Assen, he can talk to him again and continue to move forward in the negotiations. I would like to close the deal before the summer break, which is very long this year, ”said Cecchinello.
#MotoGP #Alex #Márquez #leave #Honda #LCR #season