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 Marq🍬uez will join Gresini Ducati next year, leaving Repsol Honda in the process.
It brings an end to one of MotoGP’s most famous associations between Marquez and Hondaꦅ but hadꦍ been brewing for months.
“I think it was something that was possible,” Honda team manager Puig said.&nb﷽sp;
“Marc has been trying to get a bike that suits his riding style. Honda has been trying to do it, but unfortu🎃nately we c🌌ould not do it today.
“The situation was clear. He needed, let’s say, anot🧜her type of bike for next ye෴ar. 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 thi𝐆ngs together.
“The Reps🔯ol Honda team with Marc achieved so many things. Honda is super grateful for all the contributions of Marc to HRC.
“I’m sure Marc ꦿis very grateful for what Honda did for him, the way it treated him during his injury,𒐪 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 Marquez slowly drifted: “Frankly speaking he has been requesting an improvement i🐭n the machine for [a long time].
“The decision? He took it last Tuesday. Okay, it was somethingꦰ possible.
“It’s not that Honda will try to convince a rider who does not want to stay aꦺt Hond✃a.
“Honda respects Marc ꧑a lot. If his mind is not here, and he wants to leave, Honda will never 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 dream.&♔n💙bsp;
“We will lose Marc but the Honda philosophy is the Honda philosophy, we will keep searching and fighting for a compet𓆏itive bike, this is our mentality. We have a lot of ups and downs in the story of Honda but the will to improve to be in the higher posi🍸tions 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 everybody.
“We really hope Marc gets what he deserves, a good racing career. We, on t⛎he other hand, will try to make a bike to fight against him!”
Marquez went sixth fastest in Friday practice at the Indon𒁃esian MotoGP at Mandalika, Aleix Espargaro topped the timꩵesheets.
Puig questioned about replacement rumours
Miguel Oliveira and Maverick Vinales are the namꦡes most strongly linked with joining Repsol Honda to replace Marquez next year.
However, Aprilia (who own the 202😼4 contracts for both riders) have insisted they do not want to lose Oliveira or Vinales.
Puig said about the process to replace Marquez: “Peop𓃲le think we have beeꦚn contacting. We have contacted no-one.
“Until Tue🐓sday 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 had Joan and Marc.
“From the moment he announced that he would chase, then we star🔯ted to think.
“Toda༒y, here, we didn’t really sit down to decide. It’s not so easy, it’s difficult timing. We will see how we can sort this out.”
Puig was spe📖cifically 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 giv🎀e an update, just because I do not have it.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sport🀅s for a decade covering everythinꦐg from American sports, to football, to F1.
