Marc Marquez arrives on one of his favorite tracks this weekend. Indeed, he has never experienced defeat at the Sachsenring since 2010, so much so that the German Grand Prix is traditionally a formality for him, as is also the one in Austin, Texas. However, things have changed since a heavy fall during the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez in July 2020. The eight-time World Champion is certainly back on the track, however, he is still very far from his form on the handlebars of a Honda which seems to be like the worst in a series which was already not easy. His old rival Dovizioso observes all this and gives his feelings…
Marc Marquez returned to competition this season at the Portuguese Grand Prix and it was initially a great relief. But the meetings followed one another and concern first set in and then continued to grow about the driver's ability to recover his immense resources. With whom he alone made the difference, riding a Honda that no one other than him could put at the top.
Having returned, so to speak, among ordinary mortals, the gifted no longer has the capacity to put himself above the fray. Marc Marquez is well aware of this and never misses an opportunity to point it out. But all the same, this visible suffering each time and the epilogues in the gravel trap are worrying. For example on the side of his former rival between 2017 and 2019. This isAndrea Dovizioso who comments: “ from the outside, he seems far from his ideal physical shape. That's a big deal for a rider who fills the bike's gaps with a physical approach. In addition, Honda has not progressed like other manufacturers over the last two years ».
And yet, regarding the Honda, we detected an improvement at the end of last season, thanks to the work of the test pilot at the time, praised Stefan bradl. During the offseason, Pol Espargaro seemed to adapt quickly to RC213V. Then the 2021 campaign started and all these encouraging signs disappeared…
Marc Marquez stands firm on his stance on staying home if...
We do not know how long a situation which alerts the highest level at Honda which begins to send from Japan high-level emissaries to assess the severity of the crisis. But what is certain is that Marc Marquez won't wait forever. Whether from a technical or physical point of view.
The eight-time World Champion has always been clear on this subject. And he repeats it with this German Grand Prix: “ of course there is a generational change in MotoGP. It's normal, it's sport and it's life. Today, many young talents come from Moto2 » he underlines. " At 28 I still feel young... When I no longer feel competitive enough to win races, then it will be better to stay home ».
Incidentally, for this eighth round of the championship, Marc Marquez will sport a helmet with unique decoration, in the neo-retro style.
