Marc Márquez has had the first contact with the motorcycle of 2023… and he is not happy at all. At the end of the Valencia tests, he issued an important warning to Repsol Honda. With what they have at the moment they are not enough to reign again.
The eight-time motorcycling champion has been very clear: “It has been a bit… not what was expected, because you always expect more, but they already told me that they would have to take one more step now for Malaysia, in February, but one is not worth it. They have to give two.”
“You always want more and more. I can’t say I’m disappointed because Honda is working, they’re trying and they’ve brought a new bike, but we need more if we want to fight for the World Cup. With what we have here we won’t fight for the World Cup”, commented the man from Cervera.
Honda has indeed taken a step forward in some aspects, but Márquez points out that in others they are behind: “In one of the problems we are going in the right direction, but as we expected, we improved in one area and lost in another. It is a balance” .
The address, for example, is “similar” to that of this season: “I want to think that this is a first step towards February. But… ‘uf’, the direction is very similar to the one we have now. It is a little different, a little between 2021 and 2022, that’s a bit of a feeling, but we need more.”
“We need more engine, more stability under braking… several things that are working on it. We have gained a little bit, but not enough“, explains the Spanish pilot.
The tests in Malaysia will be essential. Márquez knows that there it will be known where each team is: “You know that it is a shot and in Malaysia it will be a shot. That bike you get there with, will be the one you compete with all year. They have to decide. I’ve told them that I don’t care if the front wheel is in the back and the back is in the front. I want a bike that goes better and that’s it.”
Injuries… and a motorcycle with many problems
Honda is over Last in the MotoGP Manufacturers World Championship. Very, very far from the head. Márquez’s problems have accumulated. From his constant injuries to the extremely poor performance of the team, with a very difficult bike to ride.
And the pilot is not optimistic for next year. At least with the new pieces that he has tested this Tuesday in Valencia. The test in Malaysia will mark everything. Honda must work a lot.