MotoGP: Marc Márquez feels "stuck" in his recovery

After nine months out due to an injury to his right arm, Marc Márquez returned to the track on April 16 in FP1 of the Portuguese Grand Prix. Since then a month and a half has passed and he has completed three weekends, those of Portimao , Jerez and Le Mans , without being able to take a big step forward for the time being.

The Honda rider already warned on Thursday that the characteristics of the Italian track were going to make things difficult for him on a physical level, a forecast that was confirmed this Friday at the end of the day, in which Marc finished with the 12th fastest time.

“So far the day has been marked by the physical. Since the start I have seen that it cost me a lot. Where I suffer most is in the second exit. When I leave the box it is difficult for me. The last one was a little better. We will see how the weekend develops”, introduced the Spanish rider.

“It seems difficult to explain because (almost) two months have passed since Portimao and I should be better, but I’m pretty much the same as then, stuck, bad shoulder (right) and that makes my arm work incorrectly, and in I am noticing this circuit a lot. It is in the changes of direction that I suffer the most on all the tracks and in Mugello there are many”, the eight-time champion specified.

Also on Thursday, Márquez acknowledged that on more than one occasion after his return he considered stopping and getting off the bike.

“At the moment the situation is not what we wanted, but it is good for riding a motorcycle, going around and accumulating kilometres, but if we saw that it went from being fairly good to being dangerous, it would be time to stop and think about Montmeló , but At the moment we are not yet in that situation, ”he ruled out.

A possibility that, however, is not ruled out, even the team’s team manager, Alberto Puig , admitted it before FP2.

“I said it yesterday with a small mouth, but Puig has also said it. It is a reality, we are prioritizing something else now. Running and getting five points or one is not going to change our result at the end of the year. In HRC if you don’t win it’s a bad year, it doesn’t matter if you finish third, fifth or tenth. I have to know where I come from and where I am going. At Le Mans I forgot a bit thanks to the rain, but we suffered a bit today in both practices. I’m doing a test in the race, it’s the only way I have to do laps on a motorcycle. A footballer can train alone, we can only readapt ourselves to the competition by running races and in front of the cameras, and that is what we are doing”.

Physical disquisitions aside, Honda ‘s problems go further and the best RC213V of the day, Nakagami ‘s, could only be 7th. Marquez was asked to assess where the problems lie and if they have to do with the new rear tyre.

“The rear tire if you make it work is the same for everyone and the same from Jerez in 2020, where I had a great race until the crash. I’ve always said that the Honda is critical and you need crashes to get to the limit. In my state, these falls undermine confidence. On my side of the box I am not driving one hundred percent. If you compare with a 2019 lap here, the bike moves half because I can’t move it, you have to go to the limit the whole lap and now I can’t do it. We have traction problems, yes, but we had them before. When you are not well, it shows on the track and, consequently, also in the results”.

Finally, they asked the Catalan if all the Honda riders are going, right now, in the same direction.

“Honestly I don’t know how the situation is and what each rider is using, I’m with a bike very similar to the one from 2019, with some new features. Little by little, when I feel better I will be putting the things from 2020. We have done a reset on my side of the garage and when I am better I will take steps forward. It is the only way to understand if we are going in the right direction in my riding style”, settled the one from Cervera .