Jerez.- The punch shown by the new prototype of the brand with the golden wing during winter training began to be questioned as the races passed, and its seams were completely exposed last Sunday, in Portimão. There, Márquez was the first among the Tokyo manufacturer’s riders to cross the finish line, and he did so sixth, 16 seconds behind Fabio Quartararo, the winner.
Behind him did his brother, Alex, who he overtook at the last breath, and Pol Espargaró, who finished ninth, after being overtaken by Pecco Bagnaia, who had started last.
There, in the paddock of the Portuguese track, Espargaró was unable to explain the lack of grip on the bike; precisely its strong point throughout the winter. Márquez, for his part, underlined that uncertainty generated by the device from the first moment.
To try to solve all these unknowns and unlock the potential that Honda believes is hidden in it, the brand’s five drivers -the four starters and Stefan Bradl, the tester-, will anticipate to Friday part of the work initially intended for the collective test which will take place on Monday in Jerez, this Sunday’s appointment for the sixth stop on the calendar.
The diagnosis that Márquez makes of the ills of the new RC213V model sums it up in a very simple concept to understand: the bike turns more or less well on wide tracks and with open and round curves, and has a hard time on short ones and buzzers . Jerez is one of the latter, and that is why Honda has decided to ‘advance’ the test.
“We cannot allow ourselves the luxury of waiting for Monday. When we have the lines, the rhythm and others, we will have to start testing things. The others have the basis of their bikes; we do not yet,” said Márquez this Thursday, already from the Andalusian circuit.
“It is true that it is a bike that works well on the big circuits, but on the small ones, on those where you have to turn fast, it is difficult for us. But the potential is there, we have to find a way to get it out”, continued the #93, the first classified among the Honda members in the points table (11th), despite having missed two Grands Prix due to injury (Indonesia and Argentina).
In each appearance, the multi-champion is asked about his options to add what would be his seventh MotoGP crown, and the ninth in general. At the moment, he answers that he is for other things: “Talking about a title is too optimistic right now, first I have to build my options.”
This Friday, Santi Hernández , the technical manager who has accompanied him since his first year in Moto2 (2011), will receive the Ciudad de Jerez award for his career and dedication. For Márquez, this is not only a recognition of Santa Coloma, but of his entire guild.
“I am very excited that they give it to Santi, but I think it is for all the technicians. They are working many times until late at night, and the riders depend on them, on the team in general. He is the captain” , clinched the one from Cervera (Lleida).
