Honda spoke of the “Marquez case” for the first time. They obviously did this in Japan when they met with the local press.
But MotoGP will start again in less than a month and a half with the Sepang test, and It’s still not clear if Magic Marc will be there.
After undergoing his third operation on December 3rd at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid for a broken humerus that occurred in the final laps of the 2020 Spanish GP, Marc’s presence in Malaysia is a big question mark.
“At the moment everything is still being decided. We’re keeping an eye on his condition and working hard to get him the best possible bike for the first pre-season test in Sepang. We have to do everything we can to help him, ”replied Tetsuhiro Hikita – during a press conference organized by HRC in Japan on Monday and reported by“ AS ”- regarding the physical condition of the eight-time champion.
After Marc’s third operation Samuel Antuña, Ignacio Roger de Oña, Juan de Miguel, Aitor Ibarzabal and Andrea García Villanueva – The team of doctors who operated on Marc in Madrid – had previously discovered an infection in the lesion, forcing him to undergo specific antibiotic treatment that could significantly delay his return if it doesn’t have the desired effect.
“2020 was a real disaster” Takehiro Koyasu, HRC’s Development Director, first admitted. “The main reason was that we struggled to get the new Michelin tire working during the first winter tests, but given the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it was impossible to continue our testing program. In addition, we were left without the best driver who determined this year’s result. “
Honda is currently working on improving electronics and increasing engine performance through intake and exhaustto get top speed and improve the integration of the RC213-V frame into the Michelin rear tire, which has created problems for almost all teams.
“Marc Marquez is an exceptional driver“Continued the engineer.” But Honda has a duty to work hard with both the factory team and the satellite team to develop a bike that can regain the “Triple Crown”. We have taken the information from Takaaki Nakagami into account. It is a fact that Takaaki grew a lot in 2020, although the progress in his performance can certainly also be attributed to the improvement we made to his bike in the off-season. However, Taka has given us important and important feedback, with suggestions very similar to Marc Marquez’s. We also know that Nakagami learned a lot from the mistakes in MotorLand Aragón. “