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MotoGP, Marquez reckons Honda paid the price for not having a fast rider in 2020

“It was difficult for the engineers to work during my absence. I am still far from my best form and I am not very precise. With the rain this could be a less demanding race, but it will be a lottery "

MotoGP: Marquez reckons Honda paid the price for not having a fast rider in 2020

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Marc Marquez arrives at Le Mans with one eye on the Honda and the other on his physical condition. In France, the Spaniard is aiming to take a step forward, aware of the fact that the test will not be easy at all. His recovery path continues, but at the same time there are limits on his riding and the sensations he was used to.

Yet Marc certainly does not want to leave defeated, if anything he prefers to grit his teeth and get ready for battle.

"As we all know, the weather here is unpredictable and so I will have to adapt - he began – in one side I would like to ride on the dry because like this I continue on my evolution, on my personal rehabilitation, and the best way is on dry conditions. In another hand, wet conditions, you never know, it’s more a lottery. Of course the limit what I have now, riding on dry conditions, is about physical condition. It’s true that wet conditions are less demanding physically, so this can help, but on the other hand my position on the bike is also not the same like always.”

The #93 is well aware of all the difficulties he will have to face…

“At the moment the bike is not bad, but we are missing something. In the garage my team has to be very careful, as my comments aren't as accurate as before. Sometimes I start the weekend with one set-up and then I find myself finishing on Sunday with another one, obviously thanks to my physical conditions, as in each session I ride differently than the previous one ”.

Too bad that his physical condition saw fit to get in the way even on the occasion of the last test…

“In Jerez I wanted to resume the path interrupted in 2020 with the bike, but unfortunately I struggled physically and so I couldn't. But I'll try again this weekend to do some comparison work ”.

In the meantime, the team tries to guarantee him maximum support…

“Honda is working hard, bringing several components in order to make progress. However, the thing becomes more complicated when we don't have a real fast rider. If there were a strong rider, always close to the best positions, it would be much easier for the engineers to work. Instead we come to this 2021 after a difficult 2020. In the factory team there was a rookie like Alex, plus Cal suffered from physically, while Nakagami used the 2019 bike. All these things put together have certainly conditioned everything. "

Marc's mind is already focused on the Bugatti round, where he triumphed two years ago…

“My priority is to recover physically. The bone consolidation is going in a good way, That means that from Jerez to Le Mans I was able to increase a bit the training on the gym, we’re starting to try to find a way to get more power, more muscle, on the right arm. And there, I feel, still is a big difference, and we are far from a good level. Big difference comparing left arm and right arm. After Jerez, we started to work on the gym with heavier weights, just trying to work harder, and there I felt like still we are far from a good way on my arm. Still the difference is big.”

Last Wednesday, the #93 underwent a control visit…

“The feeling that I have on riding is normal. Maybe if everything is going well after Le Mans, I will be able to ride between races, and this also will be another step. But at the moment we haven’t decided yet.”

 

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