He repsol honda celebrated its staging for season 2023 with two world champions of the highest category to their loins: Marc Márquezsix times, and Joan Mir, a. Champion and Honda have been practically synonymous in recent years, even for several decades. After those first successes of Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner and Eddie Lawson in the 80s, came the wonderful stage of the 90s with mick doohanwho passed the roller with five consecutive titles, and the lace of Alex Criville. The thing did not stop there. Already in the 21st century, valentino rossi was crowned three times, Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner they climbed to the top… Even Dani Pedrosawho could not be champion of 500cc or MotoGP, was up to the motorcycle. It has now been confirmed, when we have seen the heirs of his mount pass without relevant performances: Jorge Lorenzo, Alex MarquezPol Espargaró, the wild card Stefan Bradl… The last title conquered him Mark in 2019, the sixth of a glorious era. And from then on the downhill began, for Honda and for Márquez himself. There was a time nearby when the Japanese brand was the ogre. The bike to beat, for rivals. The unattainable wish, for any pilot. Everybody wanted to beat Honda. Everybody wanted to race a Honda.
That feeling has faded. The illustrious history of the Japanese factory flew over this Wednesday the act of presentationthe same as occupies the space of this column, but Honda no longer intimidates as before. Now here near. His 2022 results were very weak: two podiums, one for Espargaró and the other for Márquezand the 13th final place for Marc in the classification, despite his six absences, as the most remarkable. The world Cup yearns the resurrection of hondaan essential requirement for Márquez to be able to return to what he was, and for Mir to confirm his overflowing talent.
