As usual after the great prizes, the HRC sports manager in MotoGP, the Spanish Alberto Puig , reviews what happened during the race that, this Sunday, was held in Silverstone and that began with a fall of Marc Márquez in the first lap and ended with the best result of the season for Pol Espargaró , fifth at the finish line.
“This weekend has been a very important turning point for Espargaró. I think he’s taken a huge step compared to what he’s been doing so far this season. I think the way he approached the race was very good and he was able to show his real potential”, explains Puig in his report.
“ Pol is a rider who can be in these positions, so we hope that from now on he can continue like this and keep up the progress. We are very happy for him within the team and at HRC . The year has been difficult for him and he deserved this good result. He was fantastic during qualifying to get pole position and although he was of course aiming for a podium in the race, he was able to make an important step and get back to his true level.”
The race did not start in the best way for Honda, since in the first lap Marc Márquez suffered a fall and took one of his rivals, Jorge Martín from Pramac Ducati, ahead. Up to that point Marc’s weekend had been pretty consistent.
“We have seen Marquez stronger in these last few rounds. Unfortunately he misjudged the overtake with Martin, it wasn’t his intention, but they made contact during the first lap and went down as a result. We feel sorry for Martin and his team. This is a race, these things can happen during the first lap when all the drivers are together. It’s a shame because Marc could have fought for the podium, maybe not for the victory, but of course he was there to fight for the podium”, says Puig.
The former rider and now Honda boss, does not forget the good performance of Alex Márquez , who started 17th on the grid and finished 8th, pointing out the most positive points of the British race.
“The positive thing is that Espargaró has been able to get back to his true level, he has shown the reason why we asked him to join HRC. But I also want to mention Alex Marquez’s great weekend. He had a fantastic race; we are very satisfied with him and his performance this Sunday”, he stressed.
After two weekends in which Puig could not be at the races for health reasons, the Catalan returned to the HRC wall at the circuits, where he experienced the race with mixed feelings.
“It was sad to see Marc crash during the first lap, but on the other side it was exciting to see Pol racing. He tried to stay in front in the first few laps and then he drove well to fend off his rivals and survive until the end.”
In the technical part, the Hondas were the only bikes that fitted the rear soft tire in the Silverstone race, something that took its toll on Espargaró.
“Pol’s goal was to have a good race and get stronger, we weren’t looking for the podium. When you start from pole normally your goal should be the podium, but this was not the case. Anyway, it is true that Pol had a big crash on his rear tyre, maybe our decision on the soft was not the right one. But the most important thing is to be fast again and have good weekends from Friday to Sunday.
Finally, Puig makes an assessment of the next stop in the championship, the Aragón Grand Prix in two weeks.
“It’s a difficult track, but Aragón adapts a lot to Márquez and also Honda has achieved good and consistent results there in the past”, he recalls.
“But of course in 2021 we arrive in a different situation, as Marc is not 100% fit; however, we know that he will still try to reach his full potential. It will be interesting for Espargaró to confirm their progress and see what Nakagami and Alex can do, continuing their development and progress as pilots”, settles the executive of the golden wing brand.
