MotoGP, Lorenzo: “Marquez gave Honda an ultimatum, we need a reaction”

“Honda is probably the strongest team, has won the most world championships, and has the highest budget, but it’s not always the strongest team that wins. Everything has to be perfect and sometimes you need a bit of luck too.”  Jorge Lorenzo summed it all up on the official MotoGP website, speaking of the experience of the Japanese constructor that has not been able to leave its mark in the top class since Marc Marquez’s injury in the 2020 Spanish GP.

Year after year, the Japanese constructor has developed the RC213V to make it more successful in the hands of its leading man, who has won six of his eight championship titles in the MotoGP. But it was Honda’s blind confidence in its champion that backfired during Marc’s long absence as he deals with a new hand injury.

“Honda has won several titles with Marc Marquez because of his talent, his attitude, and the fact that he’s a fantastic rider. On the other hand, however, he’s also a particular rider, who needs a bike with certain characteristics. Honda has completely followed Marquez’s line, but it seems like it only works for him, and it has become difficult to get results for the other riders,” he observed. “I think Honda was a standard bike for all riders ten to fifteen years ago, while now it’s a special bike, made specifically for Marquez. On some occasions, Pol Espargaró and Alex Rins managed to compete in good races, but it’s currently a bike with which only Marc Marquez was able to win championships, and that’s a shame, because they have great potential in several aspects.”

For the five-time winner, the lack of competitiveness demonstrated by the RC213V in recent seasons has created a rift in the fruitful partnership between the rider and the Repsol team. A rift that could become irreparable if the Japanese constructor won’t be able to provide Marc with a bike at that’s as good as the Ducati.

“Something has changed in the relationship between Marc and Honda because Marc was used to winning almost every year while, now, after three seasons without winning the title, this love has diminished,” Lorenzo commented. “We’ll see if they can recuperate their relationship or if they’ll move even further apart. Only time will tell, but Marc seems to have given an ultimatum to Honda, not only in private, but also in his public statements. He needs a reaction from Honda and a bike that, even if it’s not the best, is at least similar to the Ducati that, at the moment, is the best bike in the line-up.”