Losail has never been a Honda-friendly circuit and without Marc Marquez in action, it was felt all the more harshly for Alberto Puig's troops. The drivers placed with LCR brought nothing positive to Doha while the officials paid cash for their mistakes. However, the gaps are small with the leading men, which gives hope for better times this season.
Alberto puig takes stock of the Doha Grand Prix who saw his pilots Pol Espargaro et Stefan bradl finish 13th and 14th in the second round of the World Championship MotoGP 2021. Nothing to brag about when you wear the Repsol Honda colors. But given the gaps recorded and the lap times verified, there is no reason to lament the level of the RC213V either.
« The strategy was, as always, to get a good start and then follow the main group in front ", has explained Alberto puig retrospectively. “ Unfortunately, Stefan Bradl made a mistake at the start which cost him the qualifying advantage. This is a shame. On the other hand, Pol got off to a good start. This was very important because he was able to avoid the problems in the first corner that he still had in the first race ».
22 laps later, Pol Espargaro crossed the finish line as first driver Honda in 13th place, closely followed by the replacement of Marc Marquez. " The overall result is again the negative aspect of the Grand Prix, with the errors and Alex Márquez, who fell in the middle of the race. It was unfavorable ", recognize Puig.
But the 54-year-old Spaniard doesn't see everything gloomy, pointing out that the top 15 was only separated by 8,928 seconds: “ the positive is that Pol Espargaró, despite some mistakes, finished just six seconds behind the winner and just four seconds from the top 5. We see that we are not quite there yet, but the difference is not big. It's not a 20 second gap. There are a few small areas where we have to work to put it all together, then we will be part of it ».
Honda is last in the manufacturers' standings
Puig regretted that a better end result was within reach, especially for Honda's new signing. “ When Pol Espargaró went wide for the second time in the first corner, it wasn't a great view from the pit wall. Because we knew the Grand Prix was over for us. We expected and set a goal to catch up with the group ahead of him. Pol was only 2,6 seconds behind the leader. It seemed like the potential was there to fight for a spot between 5 and 8. The potential is there », Said the Repsol Honda team manager.
In the brand's world championship, however, the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer is in sixth and last place after the two races in Qatar. “ We have been in Qatar for a long time now, for two tests and the two races back to back. We are not going home in the best position. But this race is never easy for us, we know it and we will overcome it. Now it's back to Europe, a new section starts in Portugal. We will use what we learned in Doha and work to improve in the future ", said Puig ahead of the upcoming race weekend at Portimão scheduled from April 16 to 18.
