Honda boss: “We didn’t try to ask Marc Marquez to stay if he was not happy”
Confirmation finally came in Mandalika at the Indonesian MotoGP that Marquez will join Gresini Ducati next year, leaving Repsol Honda inꦉ th𒁏e process.
It brings an end𓆏 to one of MotoGP’s most famous associations between Marquez and Honda but had been brewing for months.
“I think it was something that was possible,” Honda team manager Puig sa꧟id.
“Marc has been trying to get a bike that suits his riding✤ style. Honda has been trying to do it, but unfortunately we could not do it today.
“The situation was clear. He needed, let’s say, another type ofཧ bike for next year. We, as Honda, understood.
“We🌠 decided the best thing was to let him go. It’s sad but, when we look back, we did great things together.
“The Repsol Honda team witওh Marc achieved so man🅰y things. Honda is super grateful for all the contributions of Marc to HRC.
“I’m sure Marc is very grat✃eful for 𝐆what Honda did for him, the way it treated him during his injury, the efforts they did to prepare [everything] he needed in the past years to get all his titles.”
Puig was asked how the relationship between Honda and Mar🤪quez slowly drifted: “Frankly speaking he has been requesti💝ng an improvement in the machine for [a long time].
“Thꦅe decision? He took it last Tuesday. Okay, it was something possib𝔍le.
“It’s not that Honda will try to convince a rider who does no♎t want to stay at Honda. 🦩;
“Honda respects Marc a lot. If his mind is not here, and he wants to leave, Honda will neverꦅ stop him from doing it.
“We didn♔’t try to ask him🥂 to stay if he was not happy.
“To lose 🐟a champion is always not good. But what’s worse is to give up your 𓄧dream.
“We will lose Marc but the🌜 Honda philosophy is the Honda philosophy, we will keep searching and fighting for a competitive bike, this is our mentality. We have a lot of ups and downs in the story of Honda but the will to improve toꦫ be in the higher positions has always been there.
“It’s sad to stop this relationship but, on the other hand, it’s a way to keep going. Life goes on for e♈verybody.
“We rea꧂lly hope Marc gets what he deserves, a good racing career. We, on the other hand, will try to make a bike to fight against him!”
Marquez went sixth fastest in Friday practice at the Indonesian MotoGP♈ at Mandalika, Aleix Espargaro topped the tജimesheets.
Puig questioned about replacement rumours
Miguel Oliveira and Mave🔜rick Vinales are the names most strongly link𒆙ed with joining Repsol Honda to replace Marquez next year.
However, Aprilia (who own the 2024 cꦐontracts for both riders) have insisted they do not want to lose Oliveira or Vinales.
Puig said about the process to replace Marquez: “People think we have been contacting. We have contacte💃d no-one.
“Until Tuesday night when I received a phone call from Marc, and we were talking, we didn’t move. We had two riders. It was critical, but we ha🍬d Joan and Marc.
“From the moment 🎃he announced that he would chase, then we started to think.
“Today, here, we didn’🎉t reall🌊y sit down to decide. It’s not so easy, it’s difficult timing. We will see how we can sort this out.”
Puig was specifically asked if Honda had♏ contacted Oliveira, and he replied: “We never put on the table any name, until now. We have to do it, of course, because we have no rider.
“But this is something you’re saying, it’✱s not that we’re saying. For now, I cannot give an update, just because I do not have it.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Spo♚rts for a decade covering everything from American sports, to f𒊎ootball, to F1.
