MotoGP, Puig: Zarco and his manager deceived me

The Le Mans round allowed Marc Marquez and Honda to solidify their championship lead, extending their advantage over the chasing pack. A Grand Prix that left a smile on Alberto Puig's face as he was interviewed by Movistar TV.

The Honda team manager spoke about the track, but particularly about the market, providing interesting details. He also gave his opinion about Lorenzo's future: “Jorge has never got used to this bike and will never do so, I don't think I'm saying anything new, as he knows this too – admits the former rider -  he took the decision to switch manufacturer and right now he's paying the consequences. When you make a change in life it's to find something new, that makes you happy, but unfortunately it hasn't gone that way and he knows this too. I'd say that MotoGP has been lost in this marriage, as right now we need another top rider in the fight for the title”.

There are increasingly persistent rumours about #99's departure from Ducati: “When you have no confidence with the bike, all you can do is change. Champions are people with courage and pride, so I don't think he can accept the current situation. I remain of the view that the only solution is to change team but I don't know whether this is feasible or not”.

As well as the Majorcan, Puig also talks about Johann Zarco, now set to join KTM: “I asked Johann if we'd talk one day in a totally informal way, he told me he'd keep me informed but as we've all seen, he's already signed with KTM. Let's say that he and his manager deceived me and didn't keep their word, though I underline that there was never an actual offer on our part”. The Spaniard goes on to add: “Personally, if you want to measure yourself against a top rider, I think you need to ride the same bike, otherwise it's very difficult to make comparisons.”

the top rider to whom he refers is of course Marquez, who equaled Stoner's wins in France: “It’s very hard to resist in a world like MotoGP and those who can are winners - Casey probably left because he couldn't continue for other reasons. In terms of riding Stoner was one of the best, he belongs to the generation of Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Dovizioso, who remain a reference point for me. Marc is from the following generation”.

He then touches on the Doctor: "Valentino is a phenomenon, I think he's a great champion and very talented rider. Above all, he has a lot of ambition and pride, he will no doubt go down in history”.

 he closes by referencing Argentina: “Marc made a mistake, that was clear, but it definitely wasn't intentional. The only thing he could do was go and apologise right away and stay calm. Unfortunately our apologies were not welcome, so we couldn't do more. For us it ended there”.