Aragon, Japan and Thailand. It has been a frenetic treble with a change of continent included for the entire MotoGP World Championship, but especially for a Marc Márquez who returned on the back of his Honda to compete again 110 days and a fourth operation on his right humerus later. And now, with a week off until the Australian GP, the man from Lleida He calmly analyzes how he has experienced his return to asphalt with the rough start at MotorLand, the pole position at Motegi and the 24 points he scored in the two Asian events.
“The important thing is that the evolution was very positive and it was what was being sought. Firm steps have been taken, we have managed it quite well and, above all, in Thailand, both in the dry and in the wet, I felt competitive, I could now ‘play with the bike’ and this is good because I haven’t been able to do it for a long time”, assures the eight-time world champion in statements provided by Estrella Galicia 0,0, yes, he warns that “from here until reaching one hundred percent there is still a little left”.
He calls for a few months to analyze it and see how competitive it can become: “I think we have to see where one hundred percent of the arm is in winter, which is when evolution will be a little more stagnant, but From there we will have to try to improve everything we can and I think we can be competitive. What happens is that we are also in a sport that combines rider, bike and team, and everything has to go together if you want to be truly competitive”.
“What gives me more hope is that, since I have taken both the practice bike and the MotoGP, I have immediately gotten on and I have felt that the speed is still there”, says Marc optimistically, although his level is still “not enough to be competitive in the World Cup”, it is too early for that and in Buriram he was able to verify it again: “Strength is getting better and better, but resistance is what I am lacking a little bit. On Sunday in the race things went wrong for me, my body told me: ‘So far…’.
Enlarge
Forced to fight for the 2023 World Cup
Although his return has excited many, including himself, Márquez has no other objective for the last three races other than “to continue to evolve, to be a little closer each time and to be more constant in race times. And after Valencia, try the new bike and work towards the 2023 project.” Then, He expects Honda to take “a big step”: “But I can’t blame them for anything because I see that the effort is maximum, the involvement is maximum and that, out of desire, it is not”.
Now, although he is cautious at the moment when talking about next year, he knows that “if you are a Honda rider, you are in the Repsol Honda Team and you have the track record you have, well you are obliged to fight for the World Cup”. Then reality will tell, but that is the illusion that Marc has for 2023: “That is the goal. Every year, when it starts, the illusion, the motivation and the focus is to fight for the World Cup. Then the rivals put you on the spot, they give you the answer”. Before you know it, you will have to answer other questions.