It is therefore official, Honda has decided to take greater responsibility for its MotoGP project, by placing its name ostentatiously above the hitherto dominant Repsol brand, the 213-year-old partner, on its RC30V. With this new provision, the world's leading manufacturer wanted to make it clear that it was turning a page written in golden letters for more than a decade with Marc Marquez, to better start writing a new one. Still, the shadow of the eight-time world champion continues to hover over the HRC box, so much so that his return in 2025 is not a taboo subject. During the squad presentation, the subject of Marc Marquez inevitably came up again. And here is how the protagonists reacted.
In 2024, the factory team drivers Honda engaged in MotoGP will Joan mir et Luca marini, who know that they will have to do their hard work with this responsibility of being the duo after the departure of the hitherto essential Marc Marquez. During the presentation of the new colors, they nevertheless showed that they were not intimidated by the weight of continuing the brand's adventure in Grand Prix, despite assuming both a heavy succession and a delicate technical and sporting recovery within the coat of arms.
Joan mir, who will begin his second year at Honda, commented: “ the truth is that I already haven't thought about Marc Marquez all last year. It is rather a topic that concerns the outside, what people talk about. But here, the goal is to get back to the top and turn this team around. It doesn't matter who has been here and what driver has been with this team in recent years. With or without him, we must give everything, and that's it ».
« Marc Marquez? It doesn't matter which driver is in the Honda pits. You develop a motorcycle and this motorcycle cannot fail »
The newcomer Luca marini spoke of a new era for Honda which begins this year: “ I think that Marc was part of the history with Honda and did great things. This is what I also want to do, so I am very focused on my work and I think that a new era for Honda has just begun ».
During the presentation of Honda, which took place this Tuesday, the team director, Alberto puig, was also questioned about the possibility of the return of Marc Marquez in 2025 if the manufacturer returns to the top this year. The director was brief and direct in his response: “ I don't know. I answer very directly ».
But he also clarified: “ it doesn't matter which driver is in the pits. You develop a motorcycle and that motorcycle cannot fail. We have made great progress. We still have a lot of work to do, but we now know the direction. We want to make the most of the concessions and improve with the clear aim of being competitive again soon. We probably won't be able to do it in the first few races, but I expect a much better bike in the second part of the season. We want to win again! ».
