MotoGP, Puig: “Marquez would easily have won the last two championships”

After the encouraging results achieved at the recent Sepang and Mandalika tests, Alberto Puig can be optimistic as he looks to the future. The new Honda RC213V seems to work well, Pol Espargaró is very quick and Marc Marquez appears almost fully recovered after his issues during the 2020-2021 seasons.

The anxious wait over winter

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But many question marks hung over the Repsol Honda team over the winter and Puig is not forgetting this: “In recent months, we’ve waited to see whether Marc could take part in winter testing. Fortunately, it’s all gone well”, explains the team manager in a YouTube video released by HRC. “It was important to have both riders on track to test the bike and develop what’s been designed in Japan”.

How is Marc physically? Puig doesn’t give too much away, but he knows the eight-time champion can get the job done, even when not fully fit: “He can see well now, that’s point number one. Point number two is his right arm – he might not be 100% this year, but he’s changed a lot in terms of his physical preparation and I’m sure he’ll improve further. I’m optimistic. Last year, he raced with a shoulder that was not in good shape and he was able to win three races. I expect big things this year".

Puig’s opinion

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As for the recent past, there’s no doubt that it was injury that prevented Marquez from winning, or at least fighting for, the title: "His career at Honda has been an incredible success. Over the last two years, it was only the injury that stopped him. If it hadn’t been for the arm problem, I really think he would have easily won the last two championships”, states Puig. “That’s my opinion. I might be wrong, but it’s what I think”.

"Seeing as I’ve worked with him and his guys, I can say that Marc is very uncomplicated. He’s very direct. If I have something to say to him, I say it and if Marc wants to say something to me, he does just that. It’s been easy to interact with him over the last two years. These have been complicated seasons both for him and for us as a team, considering we’re so used to winning”, concludes the Spanish manager, explaining his relationship with the rider.

Translated by Heather Watson

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