The Honda that awaits Márquez: "Critical and easy to make a mistake"

After two Grands Prix, every Honda rider has crashed at some point. In total, between Pol Espargaró, Stefan Bradl –Marc Márquez’s replacement–, Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Márquez add up to eight crashes.

The Spaniard from the LCR team is the one who leads this ranking with three, by two from Espargaró and Nakagami, and another from Bradl. In addition, the Moto3 and Moto2 champion is the only rider on the grid who has not been able to finish any race.

“It’s not the best way to start the season,” he acknowledged after the Doha GP. “I could make a thousand excuses, but it is not the way to grow. It is a track where Honda has historically suffered, but today the mistake was mine. It is time to improve and learn. I’m sure better times will come.”

Honda is tied with KTM for last place in the constructors’ championship. Espargaró’s eighth place in the first race of the year is his best baggage. In fact, in addition to Márquez, Nakagami has not opened his locker either, while Polyccio adds 11 points to 7 from Bradl. A debutant in the brand and a substitute.

Opposite Honda is Yamaha . The Iwata-based manufacturer has won the first two races and leads the manufacturers’ championship ahead of Ducati thanks to victories by Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo. The Spanish and the French have not yet kissed the asphalt this year. The same goes for Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi, even though the Petronas drivers are in deep trouble.

The situation of Honda is worrying. After bottoming out last year without Marc Márquez, in 2021 things have only gotten worse.

“The bike is not that bad, it’s critical and it’s easy to make a mistake,” said Alex Márquez in Qatar.

At least Pol Espargaró did leave some glimmer of hope waiting for the #93 to come back and tame an RC213V that continues to be uncontrollable for the rest: “The bike is fast, I don’t worry because the speed is there. I don’t know what it will happen when Marc comes, but today the bike was ready to fight for the podium. If it wasn’t for a mistake I would have finished sixth. The bike is at the level and has a lot of potential”, he stated.