Alberto Puig is moving backwards towards the start of the season in Portugal which will be celebrated this weekend on a Portimao track which did not give him reason to reassure himself about the state of the Honda, when he was dedicated to the last test winter of MotoGP. Worse for him, the one who until recently was convinced of Japanese superiority in all things regarding motorcycling, especially coming from Tokyo, turned around to eat his hat and finally recognize the obvious: Europe has overtaken then left behind the land of the rising sun. He would only miss out on losing Marc Marquez and that would be the final bouquet…
A perspective which, however, is not fiction because Marc Marquez has already laid its foundations: his love for Honda is certainly great, but his interest in a winning bike allowing him to once again enhance his record is even stronger. Gold Alberto puig knows that the RC213V will certainly not be a lethal weapon at the start of the 2023 season: “ we have serious difficulties, we don't hide it, we don't have the bike we want ". He adds : " but we will work hard and then a few months, I don't know how many, we will have a winning bike ". A conviction displayed by the team manager of the official Repsol Honda team, in an interview given to Emilio Pérez Rozas of the Spanish newspaper El Periodico, including GP One was echoed.
An interview where he finally confesses: “ Ducati and the two other European manufacturers, Aprilia and KTM, did a better job than us, they managed to find the tips, the secrets, the shortcuts to take advantage of the technical regulations and obtain a motorcycle more competitive than ours. European manufacturers have been much more responsive, more creative and more aggressive in the design of their motorcycles. When adversaries succeed, we must take our hats off to them, congratulate them » admitted the Spanish coach.
Alberto Puig: “Honda's dream is that Marc Marquez never leaves” and otherwise?
This is what is said. But this situation risks causing serious collateral damage if it persists: the departure of Marc Marquez, whose contract with Honda will end at the end of the 2024 financial year… Or sooner? A premature conclusion that haunts the mind ofAlberto puig : " these are just rumors he says. " Marc has been a Honda driver all his life and he is very grateful to Honda, but we are fully aware that if we don't give him a winning bike we might lose him ».
« This season's results could influence Marc's immediate decisions » even specifies the Spaniard. « I think Marc knows Honda very well and knows that we won't stop until we give him the bike he wants and deserves. I don't know when that will happen and if, when it will happen, but I hope it will be in time to keep Marc. Honda's dream is that it never leaves ».
Alberto puig knows what Marc Marquez has gone through these last years, the suffering he has had to face and the way in which he has done it. Many wonder if the arm injury will affect him, if he will now think twice before taking risks like in the past… “ Marc became champion in 2017 by falling 27 times. Do you think Marc will change his style? Marc also fell even though he had the best bike, because he only knows how to race and be the best by seeking the limit »Assures Alberto Puig.
« It's obvious that the body has a memory and when you undergo what Marc suffered, you always carry it with you. That doesn't mean it stops him from being as fast as before, it doesn't mean he'll be slower, more careful, less aggressive, it just means, and he's explained it a thousand times in recent months, that Marc is different from before the injury ". And on the track, it will look like this: “ he is 30 years old and knows very well, better than anyone, what to do on the track, when to risk it and when not to risk it. This is a more experienced Marc " concluded Puig.
