MotoGP Santi Hernandez (Honda) with tears in his eyes: "Maybe it was all my fault"

In a very interesting documentary series, DAZN illustrates those who have been close to Marc Marquez, from all walks of life. From Rafael Nadal to his family and friends, everyone had the opportunity to speak about the nine-time world champion.Now it's Santi Hernandez's turn, his former chief mechanic at Honda. The two men have won everything, certainly, but also parted ways acrimoniously when Marquez joined Gresini Racing in 2024.

During the 2023 season, the situation was very tense between Honda and Marquez, which deeply impacted Hernandez, now Joan Mir's chief mechanic. "When he came back in 2023, after another operation and another period of convalescence, and the results were still not there... it was tough. I thought maybe it was the end for me, that it was all my fault » we read on Motosan.

Emotions ran high when recalling the terrible weekend of the 2023 German Grand Prix, during which Marc Marquez refused to participate after a record number of crashes in practice, as well as giving his machine the middle finger. "It was a shitty weekend." he concluded, his throat tight with emotion.

Subsequently, Santi Hernandez never stopped supporting Marc Marquez, even at Gresini and then Ducati. The Spaniard's talent, which Hernandez has had the opportunity to witness since his first season in Moto2 (2011), leaves no one unmoved. But in this particular case, the bond is even stronger, as they are two very close friends. Naturally, seeing his friend in such a difficult situation must have been very hard, especially since he had reason to believe that he himself might be one of the problems.This is one of the many psychological challenges faced by people in high positions of responsibility in the paddock.

What memories do you have of the Hernandez-Marquez pairing? Tell us in the comments!

Photo: Michelin Motorsport