There are some pairs that are practically indissoluble. And the one between Marc Marquez and Honda seemed destined to be like this. Seeing him wearing the tracksuit in the Repsol colors was now almost as obvious as seeing Francesco Totti in the Roma shirt or Paolo Maldini in that of Milan. Sometimes, however, even great loves are destined to end and that is what will happen in a few days in Valencia.
On Sunday afternoon, once the checkered flag has been taken, the eight-time world champion will enter the HRC garage for the last time after 11 seasons together. The first seven triumphs, with the beauty of six world titles. The last four, however, are to be forgotten, between the serious injury of 2020 and an RC213V which has become increasingly critical year after year, relegating him to a supporting role.
If nothing else, the champion from Cervera won’t even have time to look over his shoulder, because not even 48 hours later will he begin his new adventure, “tasting” the Gresini Racing Ducati for the first time in the collective tests that will be held next Tuesday again to Ricardo Tormo. Before facing these very emotional days, the #93 took stock and spoke about his expectations in an interview he gave to Motorsport.com on the occasion of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
You are about to compete in your last races as a Honda rider. Given everything you’ve been through together, how do you feel?
“It’s difficult. It’s still difficult to realize that next weekend will be my last race with Honda this year… In the future, you never know. But it’s true that Valencia will be a super difficult weekend and exciting. At the moment I don’t realize many things and I’m just concentrating on the track, trying to give my best. But it will be a very strange Valencia GP and it will be a very strange test Tuesday, riding another bike and with faces different in the garage”.
We know you and Honda are practically family. Were you surprised by how easily they released you?
“Yes, of course. I mean, for me it’s easy to explain. Our relationship with Honda has always been very honest, super clean and very good. We’ve had 11 years, in my opinion, very successful, with a winning relationship. And I believe that this decision for next year is also a winning one. Why? Because I will switch to a bike that is leading the championship and I will try to achieve my goal, which is to feel competitive again. Feeling competitive does not mean winning, it means just feeling competitive and riding more comfortable and trying to fight for the top positions in some races. The reality is that all the budget they pay me today will go on the bike. This is also important. My comfort zone was here, to stay here, ride the motorbike and take the salary without pressure. But I think that now the best thing for the project is for them to invest everything in the motorbike. Honda is Honda. Honda will return to the top with or without me. So, I think they can do it” .
Does Honda have the right mentality to use concessions correctly and return to being competitive in 2024?
“For me, the concessions are important. First of all for Honda. Secondly for the championship. And then also for the riders. Why? In the end, the concessions are there, but the manufacturers must understand how to use them and reap the benefits. It is an easy thing, because in the end you have more margin, more things to develop. So, it will be good for Honda, for Yamaha, for the teams and for the manufacturers to have these benefits. It will be better for the championship, because in the end a great manufacturer has to be competitive, because if it isn’t the big bosses can say ‘what are you doing?’. MotoGP needs to have more and more manufacturers in the championship. The manufacturers will stay here if they feel competitive. If not, they will leave So, this is important. And then for the riders, because now the riders are looking for the best bike. And if there are more competitive manufacturers and more competitive bikes, the manufacturers will look for the riders and not the other way around.”
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
The bike’s problems started with the 2020 injury. Have you ever thought that without 2020 the difficult situation you are in now would never have happened?
“Of course in Jerez 2020 everything changed in my career, and a consequence were also the results obtained by Honda. But did it generate Honda’s current situation? I mean, in the end I had many strong teammates on the other side of the box, like Pedrosa, Lorenzo, in 2020 my brother, then Pol Espargaro and Joan Mir, who is another world champion. I have always been the best Honda in the championship, also in 2021 and 2022. And this year. So, this is an aspect that I always try to express in my comments and I try to develop the bike in the best possible way to achieve the goal of victory. But they also had other strong riders, like Lorenzo for example, who had arrived from Ducati, where he was winning. And in Honda he retired. Pol Espargaro was a bit the same. He came from KTM, the previous year he had been fourth in the championship, then he arrived and struggled. And Mir and Rins: the year Last year they were winning races, and they got here and they’re struggling. So, in the end, of course I would like to go back and forget that day in Jerez. But that’s how it went now. But I’m sure that Honda will return to the top with me or without me.”
Is 2024 the year you will feel the most pressure to start the season? Everyone thinks you will dominate with the Ducati, but for now you have only ridden the Honda in MotoGP. Is it difficult to think about all these expectations?
“Yes, of course, this is my job. My job is to try to forget, or shift, all these expectations. I know that some have high expectations and that some say that I will win all the races, others that it will be a disaster. In the end, I already said on the day of the announcement, and I repeat, that I cannot create expectations without having tried the bike. But for me the main objective right now is to try to have fun on the track again, because if I have fun again I can extend my career. If I don’t enjoy it, my career won’t last much longer. So, that’s the main goal. Then, when I test the bike in Valencia, when I do the pre-season in Malaysia, I will understand where I am. But it will be difficult and it will be a good challenge for myself, to adapt my riding style of 11 years with one type of bike to another. I will try to do my best, of course, and I think I am in a very good team. good, which is what I’m looking for: a family team. Maybe not the biggest team, but a family team, trying to work and have fun with racing again.”
Are you afraid it might not work?
“Yes, obviously it’s a possibility and obviously I have doubts. Even now that I’ve made the decision, I have doubts. And it’s possible that it won’t work. But in the end, when I retire one day, I will retire peacefully because I will have tried everything in the career. And I did what I felt. If I had stayed at Honda, I would have been shy, saying, ‘no, I won’t do it because if I’m not successful everyone will criticize me’. OK, I’ll accept if it’s not a successful move. I’ll accept criticism and all these things. But at least I will retire calmly because I will have tried everything. That’s how I am. My comfort zone was to stay in Honda, and 95% of the riders would have stayed in Honda. Why? Big salary, none pressure, being able to say: ‘ok, this race didn’t go well because we are developing the bike’. Staying was easy. But I’m not like that. I’m a winner and a killer and I will try to do my best to try to fight at the top “.
What is the most important lesson you learned at Honda?
“For me, respecting my body. That was the biggest lesson I learned from 2020.”
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