Despite having temporarily hung up his leathers, Marc Marquez may well be in the paddock for the British GP this weekend. As the Spaniard continues to focus on his recovery following surgery, we could see him back in the Repsol Honda garage, carrying out a different role.

How important is it for the Spaniard to return

Although it’s true that he can’t ride the number 93 Honda or give concrete feedback to the engineers about the RC213V and its future development right now, his physical presence would nevertheless count for a lot. On the human side, it is essential to remain united as a group, and being physical present is always better than any other kind of contact that modern technology allows. Coming to the circuit would also be good for Marc himself, stimulating him to do what he loves most, in a return to the paddock that is usually his home for most of the year, to the garage that represents his kingdom, with all his trusted people with whom he feels protected in a way.

The advantage for Honda

Having the eight-time champion in the garage would kick Honda into a higher gear. The return of a healed Marc Marquez would be the biggest incentive the Tokyo manufacturer could have to build the new 2023 bike and remedy the mistakes made last winter, when the Spaniard was essentially unable to contribute due to diplopia. The clinical eye of their most experienced rider, who made history for Honda in MotoGP between 2013 and 2019, can really help the manufacturer, as they analyse the data and technical aspects together. It’s all about motivation, team spirit and that faith that is needed to accomplish big things. And that still appears to be intact in the case of Marc Marquez and Honda.

Translated by Heather Watson

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