This is a comment from the gray eminence of the Repsol Honda team which will undoubtedly not leave the reds of Ducati indifferent. Between HRC and Marc Márquez, we tend to consider the matter as already closed in view of the 2021 and 2022 MotoGP seasons. And yet, at Sepang, where the eight-time champion suffered martyrdom due to a right shoulder still convalescing, and on an RC213V struggling to adapt to the new Michelin rear tire, there was no lifting of doubt about the sequence of events. On the contrary…
Yamaha has reduced opportunities in an open transfer market for the 2021-2022 period. Maverick Vinales et fabio quartararo will be its official representatives, while Valentino Rossi will have a plan to stay within the walls. At the house of Suzuki, stability also seems promised, just like with Honda… Really ? In Malaysia, Alberto puig made this astonishing statement to GP One : " I would like to say that with Márquez it is done, but the reality is that we are looking for an agreement. We are working on it. »
Could there be a fire in the house? The same Puig immediately reassures: “ we intend to conclude and we hope that this is the case for Marc as well. But this is an important negotiation and we cannot rush it, or set a limit at which we should sign. Because agreements of this type have no urgency, they simply must reach their conclusion. »
The reality is that Puig, rather than concluding with Márquez as soon as possible, is keen to have a clear idea of the level reached by the development of the RC213V 2020. “ We don't have a clear idea of the development status of the RC213V » admits the Spaniard. “ And until we have it, we cannot say clearly how our motorcycle is doing. The quality of this test in Sepang is not the best because Márquez is only at 60 or 70% of his physical condition. I was hoping he would get better in terms of strength. Marc has already done a lot to be in Malaysia. However, things are going as they are and complaints are of no use. »
« Also last year, Márquez was not at his best, but the championship went as expected. The next test, in Qatar, we hope to be able to do a better analysis. At the moment we have an idea... The reality is that we have so many new things to try that even I don't know clearly, in detail, how many there are. But from a management point of view there is no problem because the work continues throughout the year. With the engine, it's a different story because at Losail we have to choose " finished Puig.
Chronos Test Sepang J3 :
Credit motogp.com.
