You are here

MotoGP, Honda's failure: it wasn't able to save private Marquez

Marc did nothing wrong. He was simply a rider, but the HRC managers did not intervene, and now they've torn down their own pillar.

MotoGP: Honda's failure: it wasn't able to save private Marquez

Share


The release doesn't explain much, just a handful of words: "Accumulated stress on the operated area". But what happened is quite clear: the titanium plate bent because of exertion; too much and too early. And the result is that Marc Marquez has, once again, passed through the doors of the operating room and is, once again, in a hospital bed. The possibility that he might show up in Brno at this point seems unlikely, because to err is human but to persevere is diabolical.

Yet, Marquez did nothing wrong. Marc's a rider. His life is a continuous challenge of his limits, to overcome them and start the chase again. This holds true for him, as it does for all those magnificent mad riders who make our hearts beat every Sunday.

When he recovered after his first operation, all he thought of was going back to his Honda. Logical, from his point of view. His arm responded well, the pain was bearable. Then, some push-ups to figure out if his sensations were confirmed by facts, the circuit and, finally the medical check-up and laps on the Jerez track before giving up.

You can't blame him, because Marc is not to blame. If anything, one can argue about whether he were the one who should have made that decision.

There were the doctors, those who had operated on him and those who visited him to allow him to get on a MotoGP. Everyone told him he could try, and he did. He was fit, suitable for riding without problems, for him and for others.

But the facts have proven that this was not the case. Because the plate became deformed due to exertion, like riding a MotoGP.

There were also the managers, those whose job is to manage teams and drivers. To do this, they have to be objective, something that's not required from a rider. They must be able to asses the pros and cons, predict possible risks, and then make a decision. Even if saying means "no" to your pupil.

Alberto Puig didn't do this. He trusted his rider. That, in itself, is not a fault but, on this occasion, it was a mistake. Letting him try was like when you let children stuff themselves on sweets, knowing that they'll then get a stomachache. Too bad that Marc's problems can't be solved with a cup of hot tea.

Marquez will not be in Brno, and who knows what conditions he'll be in in ten days, when the Austrian Grand Prix will take place. At that point, his season could be definitively compromised, even for a wonderboy like the Spanish rider.

A manager should limit the damage. Marc's fall was something unpredictable, but the solution only made things worse. So the official Honda team, with a capital "T", and even with every other letter, has ended up racing with a rookie once again. Another move wanted by Puig, save for retracing his steps with a year's delay.

Honda's pillar has collapsed, and it was all Honda's fault.

Translated by Leila Myftija
__

Related articles