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Marquez is still the King on the chessboard of Honda, now looking for a Queen

The osteotomy appears to be decisive for Marc, but it is also a risk and HRC is considering revolutionizing both its teams: a second Top Rider and also a youngster are needed.

Marquez is still the King on the chessboard of Honda, now looking for a Queen

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The news of the next operation, the fourth, on the humerus has introduced a further variable in Honda's plans for the short and medium term future.

Osteotomy should be decisive for the health of the eight times world champion, but it also involves risks. Risks that Honda knows well.

For this reason in Tokyo they are wondering about the line-up to be presented for 2023. Obviously Marc, if we want to compare him to a piece of a chessboard, is the king. But we know full well that, although his presence represents winning or losing the game, the king does not have much potential for movement, which instead the queen has in chess.

So, at the moment Honda is thinking of adding a queen to Marquez. Not necessarily on the same team. A contract as an official rider in the LCR team might be sufficient.

We arrived at this conclusion by reading with a critical spirit some declarations made yesterday by Pol Espargarò who, as ‘bishop’ alongside Marc, is currently treated as a simple pawn. i.e. can be sacrificed for the purpose of the outcome of the match.

Honda is currently developing the prototype for this year and 2023. On paper, Márquez's absence should give Pol a very important role in the development process, but, judging from his declarations, everything seems to indicate that Honda has other plans.

The Japanese giant has in fact brought to Mugello a series of important new components, such as the chassis and the swingarm. And while Márquez and Nakagami were able to try them, Pol Espargarò was not allowed to. And it goes without saying that this is the usual procedure for riders who are on their way out.

"The problem is that I have not been able to test any of the new parts that Marc and 'Taka' have tried, so I don't know which direction they are taking. I just know that Marc uses a different chassis and swingarm than mine," admitted Espargarò, who naturally is on the market having received no confirmation from HRC's top management.

Actually neither has Taka Nakagami had any confirmation, and the same goes for Alex Marquez, so there are three vacant seats. A non-problem since riders of the calibre of Joan Mir and Alex Rins are free, not to mention young guys like Jorge Martin, whom Ducati do not want to leave but who could be attracted by an offer, in view of the admiration that Alberto Puig has for him.

In fact, it is likely that the former rider has taken as a mantra the phrase dear to Kenny Roberts: "I can expect a fast rider who crashes to learn how not to crash, but not a slow rider who learns how to be fast".

"I am a professional and I will still give one hundred percent until the end of the season - reiterated Pol Espargarò - but I hope to be able to lend a hand to the evolution of the bike, but I haven't done it yet because I don't know if I'll be here".

Meanwhile, the test rider of the Japanese manufacturer, Stefan Bradl, despite having received confirmation for the replacement of Marquez in Barcelona next week, had no further information about the following races. A major revolution is on the cards for Honda-HRC. And it might not necessarily stop with the riders.

 

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