MotoGP, Puig: “2022 without Marquez? We’re not considering that possibility”

Marc Marquez’s absence at the start of the 2021 season and again at the end came as a hard blow for the Honda team. And now there are doubts as to 2022. After injuring himself while training with his enduro bike, will the Spaniard be able to take part in winter testing and be ready for the new season? Honda team manager Alberto Puig tells us more.

A difficult year

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“It was complicated not to have Marc from the start of the season”, commented Puig in an interview with Spanish publication Motosan. “He recovered, but wasn’t ever 100%. And Pol Espargaró had trouble adapting to the bike, so it was a difficult year”. And speaking of Pol, the Honda team manager continues: “I’m not so surprised that it wasn’t easy for him. The Honda is a bike that takes time to understand. It was difficult for him but I think that in the end, as of the UK and Misano rounds, he changed his bike set-up and riding position and actually improved a lot. I hope he starts at a higher level next year, with more knowledge of the bike and clear ideas as to what he can do with it”.

Puig: “Neither euphoric nor pessimistic”

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During the recent Jerez tests, which took place immediately after the final Valencia round, Pol Espargaró appeared optimistic about the work completed with the RC213V: “We brought some updates – continues Puig – but we need to understand whether these will be enough to solve the issues we’ve had these last two years. I think we’re moving in the right direction, but I don’t want to be too euphoric or pessimistic. We’ve found the direction, now we have to see how well it works”.

“2022 without Marc? We’re not considering that possibility”

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Lastly, the Spanish manager talks about Marc Marquez, who will undergo another check-up for his double vision problem before Christmas: “Marc is doing everything the doctors have told him to right now, trying to rest, avoid stress and be patient. In the hope that things start to return to normal. Starting the 2022 season without him? No, we’re not considering that possibility. We’ll have to see how he is, but considering that option would be like self-flagellation. What is for sure is that we need to be guided by the doctors and we’ll see what needs to be done based on what they tell us”.

Translated by Heather Watson

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