It’💟s a statistic that sums up Ho꧑nda’s current predicament.

While Pol Espargaro may have taken the heavily-revised 2022 RCV’s only podiu💜m so far, in Qatar, results since have shown that HRC 🦩remains heavily dependent on Marquez.

Honda is not alone in that r🍃espect; Yamaha is in a similar s🃏ituation with reigning champion Fabio Quartararo.

But while Quartararo is leading this year’s standings, the problem for HRC is that – physical issues aside - not even eight-time world champion Marquez could extract enough sp👍eed from the lates💞t bike.

Before he withdrew for another round of surgery on his troublesome rigಌht arm, Mar🌟quez was frequently heard making pre-race comments that would have been unthinkable: “5th-10th is our position at the moment and it’s where we will try to fight.”

And he was right.

In the eight races before heading to the US for bone realignment, Marquez took 🍸a best finish of 4th, plus a 5th, three 6th places and a 10th.

Honda’s best result since Mꦍarquez stepped back is 10th place, leaving them sixth and last in the constructors’ championship. Espargaro has dropped from the early 3rd down to 17th in the riders’ standings, with LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Marquez 16th and 18th respectively.

“We Honda riders need help from Japan, that there is a change because all the riders a🐈re suffering,” Marc Mar𓃲quez told DAZN.

“[When] I raced this year, I too had difficulties, not just because of my arm but also because I couldn't get along well with 🦂the bike and that's where we are forced to 𝐆change and fight for the championship in the coming seasons."

Marquez will attend this weekend’s Austrian MotoGP to get a direct update on Honda’s plans for the 2023 bike, a prototype version of which could b🍨e available for September’s Misano test.

Might Marquez be fit to ride at that test? While his arm is progressing w𒉰ell, the #93 is yet to get back on any form of bike and made clear he won’t rꦇush his return.

"At the end of August, 12 weeks from the operation, I will do a CT scan where we will have to see an evolution in bone recovery and will give us indications,” Marquezღ sa🎉id.

“But if for any reason I have to extend the recovery by two weeks, I will have to. I cannot throw away all the work that has been done so 🍸fa🎀r.

"When the doctors' give the okay and I have sufficient strength, riding a motorcycle will 𝄹be one of the first things I will do because that is where the specific muscles work best and we will be able to get to 100% as soon as possible.”

'Interesting year for the rider market'

The 2023 season won’t just see t🦹echnical changes at Honda, but a big shake-up of its rider line-up.

Alex Marquez is already confirmed as leaving LCR for Gresini Ducati, and being replaced by Alex Rins♑, while Espargaro is expecꩵted to depart for Tech3 KTM and be replaced by Joan Mir.

Nakagami’s LCR futu🌠re is also unclear, with Moto2 race winner Ai Ogura also in contention.

“It is turning out to be an interesting year for the [rider] market, there are a lot of movements,” Marquez said. “[Soꦍme] riders who were in Honda mo꧃ved on, my brother to Ducati, Pol Espargaro to KTM.

“Two places remain free, one will be occupied by Alex Rins, a great rider as he demonstrated at Silverstone, where he rode at a high level. It seems, so they say, that the other Repsol Honda will be for Joan Mir. There is nothing confirmed, at least tha♚t I know of.”

Of his brother’s Ducati move, Marquez said: “We live together and, speaking wi꧑th him, he needed different motivations. It is difficult to keep them when you fall so far behind.”

HRC test rider Stefan ⛦Bradl will continue to replace Marquez, alongside Espargaro, at the Red Bull Ring, 🉐where Espargaro's KTM return could be officially confirmed.