VR46 boss Alessio ‘Uccio’ Salucci commented on Honda’s crisis. MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi’s right hand man also said that Marc Marquez was selfish.
The Japanese manufacturer can be said to be at a nadir. Honda has struggled to compete and has only recorded three wins since 2020.
The situation is getting worse for Honda this season. Marquez and Joan Mir spent more time in the treatment room due to various reasons. The RC213V motorbike is difficult to tame and even tends to be dangerous because it keeps causing the riders to fall.
As a result Mir was only able to finish the race once when he finished eleventh at Portimao. Meanwhile, Marquez has only completed the sprint race three times out of a total of 18 races in the first half of MotoGP 2023.
On the other hand, VR46 is currently enjoying a brilliant performance. Through Marco Bezzecchi, they managed to win two wins and became a competitor to defending champion Francesco Bagnaia in the title race.
Uccio Salucci assessed that the Honda crisis was heavily influenced by Marc Marquez. Although, Salucci believes that Honda will not slump for long.
“When there was a test, I passed their garage, I looked around and I saw four or five frames, four or five swingarms on the floor, they looked confused. When there are situations like this, it’s difficult,” he told Sky Sport MotoGP.
“I think they followed Marquez’s instructions. Now Marc is in trouble because he can’t ride his bike anymore, let alone other riders. In my opinion, Marquez is also very selfish, in the sense that when he understands something can help other Honda riders too , he refused. However, this is only my opinion, they will definitely rise soon, “added Salucci.
MotoGP 2023 will return this weekend at Silverstone, England.
Former world champion in motorcycle racing, Wayne Gardner, suggested that Marc Marquez just retire. Gardner feels Marquez will find it difficult to compete with his current condition.
The top Spanish racer is at the lowest point in his career. Just to finish the race, Marquez is difficult because his ride is problematic and even tends to be dangerous. As a result, Marquez repeatedly fell and was injured so that he could only finish three races (sprints) out of a total of 16 races in the first eight MotoGP 2023 series.
This situation has practically made Marquez’s future speculated. Honda has indicated that it will not hold back Marquez if it wants to leave. On the other hand, the eight-time world champion has repeatedly emphasized that he is ready to honor his contract.
However, it is undeniable that there is no guarantee that the performance of Honda motorbikes will improve. That means it’s possible Marquez will face huge risks until his contract expires at the end of 2024.
Gardner, a former world champion in the 500cc class, believes that Marc Marquez has the potential to experience a cycle of frustration if Honda fails to rise. After all, Marquez no longer needs recognition.
“Marc has been through a lot of injuries, but he got back up and got injured again. If you count how many races he’s had with crashes… In my time, if we had five or six crashes a year you could get serious injuries,” said Gardner to Motosan.
“However, fortunately with the advanced equipment like now, riders get less injuries, but more crashes. That means they avoid that. I’ve been in the same situation as Marc, in a situation where you have a lot of injuries and hard to win again.”
“The mentality changes, the body weakens, and all this becomes a cycle of frustration. My opinion is that Marquez should just retire while he can. I’m a big fan of him, but I’m afraid he will get hurt if he tries to come back,” continued Gardner.
“The bike has changed anyway, the other riders are much younger. He’s already 30 years old anyway and his mentality is a little different. I’m not saying this from a critical point of view, but I’m worried about his future life. He should know that he still has 50 more years to live. Winning one race after eight world titles shouldn’t be his priority now. I mean, he’s done enough.”
