Marc Márquez added two new crashes in Misano –and there are now 20– that complicated his weekend. The eight-time world champion rescued a fourth place in the race taking advantage of the fight between Jack Miller and Joan Mir, whom he overtook on the last lap.
In a circuit that least favors him in his current physical situation, the #93 recognized at the end that he was “about to throw in the towel halfway through the race”, but he overcame it.
“Marc Márquez’s last lap was very interesting because he was able to gain two positions, and especially considering his physical condition, we are very happy with what he managed to do”, commented Alberto Puig in his usual analysis of races . “Marc had to suffer a lot in Misano, but he had a great race.”
His teammate Pol Espargaró started one position ahead on the grid, sixth, but after falling behind at the start he finished seventh, three seconds behind Márquez.
“At the beginning of the race he lost a little bit of time, but his pace was good for all the laps. He was much better than in Aragon. If you look at the lap times, you can see that he was running with the same pace as those in front. We are happy with the work he has done,” Puig said.
The former driver considered the balance of the San Marino Grand Prix as good, although in the overall season he is aware that Honda should demand more.
“The positive thing is that the two Repsol Honda Team riders have been able to have a good race. There were some doubts before. The times that both Marc and Pol did were quite consistent. That is very important for us and it gives us a sign of progress and hope to continue this progression. The result was better than expected if we look at the difference with the leaders. It was good within the problems we had during the weekend. In general, we are happy with the results and hope to continue progressing in the upcoming races. In any case, globally we are not super happy. We, as Honda HRC, are here trying to win.”
The MotoGP riders will stay this Tuesday and Wednesday in Misano to carry out two days of testing, where they will test some novelties for the end of the season and 2022. Although he ended up quite exhausted, Puig confirmed that Márquez will participate.
“Marc had to fight with the pain, but we know that this test is very important because it will allow us to test new components. It will not be easy for him, but he will do it,” he stressed.
(Click on the link or on the image to see all the photos of Marc Márquez at the 2021 MotoGP San Marino GP)
