The boss of KTM has already told us again and again: MotoGP is the only contemporary mechanical sport that still gives pride of place to the talent of the driver. Elsewhere, starting with Formula 1, technology dominates and man applies more than he drives. A situation thatAlberto Puig confirms by taking stock of the 2018 season for his HRC troops. A victorious campaign, certainly. But thanks to Marc Marquez...
At Honda, we like to develop this idea that it is the motorcycle that comes out of its Tokyo workshops that wins, before the rider. An approach which, in its time, had annoyed a young Valentino Rossi to the great joy of Yamaha… But with a phenomenon like Marc Marquez in the box, it is difficult, even for the winged coat of arms, to ignore the one behind the handlebars of the RC213V...
A situation that the team manager Alberto puig is the first to assume. In an interview relayed by Motoracing, he declares : " Just because a rider wins races doesn't mean the bike is necessarily good. Sometimes the rider has to compensate for what the bike lacks and Marc knows how to do that very well. Frankly, the Honda was not always up to the task of its champion. But Marc managed these moments without complaint ».
He specifies : " he's a normal guy. Whether he's at home or in the paddock, he's always a natural. He only focuses on his work. It continues to evolve and adapts to all situations. Even when there are critical moments, it never changesais”.
It will be recalled that in 2018, the official Ducati factory won seven victories shared between its two riders. For HRC, alone Marquez won. Crutchlow, nevertheless, came to fruition in Argentina with the LCR satellite team.
