The former 500 World Champion and also trackside coach of Valentino Rossi has withdrawn from the Grand Prix paddock. But he remains an informed observer of MotoGP. Luca Cadalora therefore follows his news carefully and he is not the last to wonder about what could have happened at Repsol Honda. With the signing of a four-year lease with Marc Marquez who welcomes his brother Alex as a teammate this season, everything seemed set in stone for a long period of family harmony. Then Pol Espargaró arrived like a dog in a bowling game, pushing the cadet towards the LCR team. Why ? That's the whole question...
The answer, Carmelo Ezpeleta swears to have it since he admitted to knowing the smallest detail of this sensitive file. Because it has consequences. On the mood of Marc Marquez, it will be to be seen, on the career of Cal Crutchlow certainly, since he is promised an endgame with Honda. As for Pol Espargaro, it is an immense challenge that awaits him. The kind of challenge that put me into retirement Dani Pedrosa et Jorge Lorenzo. Excuse me a little...
But what does a veteran like Luca Cadalora ? He is like many: he would like to understand. However, the Italian also believes that it is a good policy. Here is his argument collected on Moto.it : " I didn't expect it, in my opinion something strange happened " begin Cadalora. " I can also imagine that Marc suffered the decision, but I don't think he was betrayed ».
If Marc Marquez suffered, he was not betrayed
He adds : " in terms of logic, Pol Espargaró's commitment is perfect because the pilot is excellent. Alex will experience LCR and it's much better for him. And Marc will also be more comfortable in the end: having a brother in the same team, I say that as a driver, I think it can become heavy ».
The arrival of the official KTM is also an answer from Honda faced with the particularity of its RC213V: “ it's a difficult bike that only Marc knows how to ride, he made it the way he likes it. And it must be said that he alone pilots in this way, since the days of Moto2 he has done strange things. For other Honda drivers, it's painful. TAs long as Marc stays at Honda and continues to win, then everything is fine, but it's like with Stoner at Ducati : the bike is very difficult, maybe too much. For him, it's also an advantage, of course, because he remains the absolute reference for the house like Wayne Rainey was when I arrived at Yamaha. I suffered, but he won ».
Being commonly understood that Pol Espargaro has aggressive driving like that of Marc Marquez, Honda can hope to narrow the gap between these two official bikes and thus loosen the grip of the one who will attempt a ninth title since his arrival in MotoGP in 2013…
MOTEGI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 13: Luca Cadalora of Italy rides the scooter in service road during the MotoGP of Japan – Free Practice at Twin Ring Motegi on October 13, 2017 in Motegi, Japan. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)
