Certainly, the show was beyond our expectations this weekend in Germany during the MotoGP round at the Sachsenring. Drivers and teams gave everything, if not too much, hoping to win. However, the fortunes were very diverse.
Just once, let's start with the big losers of the show: Honda First of all.
We might as well say it clearly, it was not only a rout but above all the confirmation of a disaster of which we do not really know if it will have an end.
The real question is: does the HRC really need suicide bombers to succeed? Certainly yes since the motorcycle is so designed that it must be abused to perform. And the only one still able to do it is – or rather was – Marc Márquez. Unfortunately for him, the laws of physics reminded him of his good memories: five spectacular and disabling falls punctuated his weekend, even pushing him to give up on Sunday after one too many, which left him stunned and in disbelief at the side of the track. The idol has thrown in the towel, and his acerbic comments do not bode well for the future, whether in terms of results or the continuity of his collaboration with the manufacturer.
How did we get to this point? Honda certainly went astray by only listening to its prodigy when it arrived in the premier category in 2013. Dani Pedrosa can attest to this, he who gave direction and participated in development before the troublemaker Márquez muzzled him. “Titanium” is now – and brilliantly – doing business for KTM. The Japanese brand, draped in its dignity, says nothing about it but bites its fingers!
Because yes, after the serious injury following his fall in 2020 on the Jerez circuit, Márquez absent was unable to ensure the technical continuity of a machine oriented solely for his wishes, which no other of his teammates will ever manage to achieve. satisfy yourself.
The ultimate snub for the manufacturer, the drivers must obviously be integrated into the design and this they have always denied. Today we see the result: no one wants to drive an RC213V anymore, unless of course they have no other option, ask Joan mir ou Alex Rins ! There was a time when a contract offer within HRC could not be refused. The roles are reversed today.
Considering the impressive list of champions who have won aboard a Honda, we dare not imagine the manufacturer going hara-kiri by leaving the competition for good. They would have too much to lose as the promotional aura of this championship is so strong. Now, considering what Suzuki did, why wouldn't Honda do the same? The road seems so long for a winning return for the manufacturer... Moreover, its industrial activities do not only include motorcycles, far from it: automobiles, aviation, equipment products, robotics. A negative image potentially harms the whole. In this way, cutting the dead branch would be a saving for a while before a new return to business. Honda in F1 has done no differently with winning comebacks. Maybe it's time to start from scratch on a motorcycle?
Yamaha , a tone below in melodrama, is also not at the party. Starting with his hero fabio quartararo which continues to descend into the depths of the rankings. Terrible for the tuning fork brand, which had one of the most homogeneous machines on the board. Once again, the Japanese have focused on continuity rather than evolution, steeped in certainties about their old technical recipes. When a manufacturer like Aprilia knew how to evolve and profoundly modify the insides of its machines (three-cylinder RS3 in the early 2000s, return in 2015 with a V4 whose opening angle will evolve), Yamaha persisted on the homogeneity of the four in line. Certainly the famous “Big Bang” will have taken the place of the traditional “Screamer”, but hardly more revolutions than this ignition timing.
The European brands, heroic challengers, ultimately continued to evolve while the Japanese were resting on their laurels. With an engine now lagging behind in terms of power and a chassis that no longer harmonizes with these constraints, performance is regressing.
Final snub for the French driver: his teammate Franco Morbidelli now has the luxury of being ahead of him more often than usual. Although under contract until the end of 2024, we can easily imagine “ The Devil » at least listen to the siren song of competition for the future, and God knows he still has a lot of assets to put forward. Unless Yamaha wakes up and avoids drowning.
The Europeans, on the other hand, put on a show: Ducati especially and KTM as a brilliant challenger, they delighted us with the high-level games of their pilots. Jorge Martín, with the exception of pole, won both events brilliantly and combatively, now establishing himself as a serious contender for the title. He will just have to show as much maturity as Francis Bagnaia at the top of his art: always calm, efficient when necessary, the Italian seems well on his way to retaining his crown by continuing like this, while the level has never been so high.
A slight tone below, Johann zarco, Brad Binder, Marco Bezzecchi and others have despite everything been flamboyant and regularly invite themselves to the feast. It's very simple: Ducati monopolizes 8 of the first 10 places in races. Even if the Bologna armada is in numerical superiority, let us recognize that the Desmosedici is acclaimed by all the teams which perform in turn: Prima Pramac, Mooney VR46, Gresini. No circuit scares him anymore.
KTM Factory and Tech3 GASGAS are almost on par.
Aprilia, once seen as THE designated challenger, will ultimately have to wait a bit with its RS-GP. It is also the fault of competitors who are too often cut down in their tracks. The case of Miguel Oliveira is revealing in this respect: dazzling at the start of the season, he recovers very (too?) slowly from two consecutive injuries. Meanwhile the train passes…
Next station: Assen.
Everyone coming down? New elements of response Thursday.
