Jorge Lorenzo: Marc Marquez to leave Honda? “Contract not usual, things have changed”
The six-time Moto🌃GP champion’s ambition to add to hꦛis immense tally is already under serious threat, just two rounds in 2023.
His crash at Portimao, the subsequent injury and pen🥂alty and the ongoing limitations of his Repsol Honda bike mean Marquez’s talent a༒lone is unlikely to be enough.
Three⛄-time champion Lorenzo spent his final MotoGP season as Marquez’s teammate at Repsol Honda but is now urging him ღto consider other options.
"They ofꦦfered him four years when it was noꦏt usual and for a lot of money,” .
“Now things have changed an🦄d Ducati is far superior𒈔.
“When the time comes to renew the contract from Honda, he will have to asꦏsess whether he wants to have a better ෴bike or continue with Honda's economic conditions."
Marquez crashed out of the season-opening Portuguese MotoGP, and missed the second round in Argentina due to injury. It is unconfirmed if he is healthy enough to compete at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas next weekend.
He has a double long lap penalty looming over him, although Hond💟a have appealed it and the MotoGP Court of Appeals are still considering whether M🔜arquez must serve it in Texas.
The original penalty was worded that he must serve it in Argentina, a race he missed through injury. It was then reworded so he must be pena🅺lised whenever he returns which is why Honda have app🎶ealed.
“What is wri🧸tten, is written and cannot be changed🐲,” said Lorenzo, insisting that Honda will be successful with their appeal.
“It's not fair change for Marquez, they woul𝔉d almost certainly have to win."
Marquez received criticism for his cras꧂h into Miguel Oliveira in Portimao, arguably the result of trying to extract too much from his below-par♌ bike.
"Marc has that DNA,” Lorenzo explained.
“That makes him always have the knife between his teeth, but what he always wants to do is win♏ and that's why he risks more.
“He has the worst Honda for a long time and he has to decide if he wants to continue racing like this or if he decides to change his riding🌠 way with less risk to fall less and score more points."
⭕The two rounds of sprint races so far have meant that incidents and injuries have racked up.
Both Repsol Honda riders - Marquez and Joan Mir -ꦺ missed Argentina due to injuriesꦇ. Oliveira, Pol Espargaro and Enea Bastianini have also missed races already.
Lorenzo’s verdict: "I loved sprint races, I am very much in favour but I do think that race direction should be very attentive and be ab🌟le to punish if it has to be done.
“It's a spectacle. There are more races and the risk of it has doubled. The fight for podiums and victories is betw✨een 5 and 7 rid♔ers.
“The race direction needs to be stricter."
So, can Lorenzo’s ex✤-rival and teamma✅te Marquez storm back into title contention this season?
"No one can knowඣ if Marc Marquez will return to his best version,” Lorenzo said. “If he's goo♈d physically, he's capable of the best."
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade 𒀰covering everything from A🐼merican sports, to football, to F1.
