Two of the stan🙈dout riders in 2020 Takaaki Nakagami and Alཧex Marquez have had two consecutive weekends to forget in Qatar, as they hope a return to Europe can bring better results. 

Both riders have struggled to fight🐼 for top ten finishes at Losail, while crashes have pl𝄹agued their early season. 

Through testing and both race weekends so far, no one has crashed more than Marquez which has been especially surprising given his impressive r♛ookie season. 

For Nakagami, it's also been a difficult start to the season after his best year yet in 2020. With both riders expected to kick on in 2021, it has so far b💛een very much the opposite, as front end problems seem to be a recurring issue with the Honda.

Nakagami was running inside the points for the first quarter of S💧unday’s race, but dropped back a🀅s the laps ticked down with the ‘front tyre’ being the main issue. 

"Well, it was a tough day again. The beginning was ok, but after seven or eight laps I felt a drop with the front tyre which then made it really difficult to hold on to the bike and e🐠specially in turning," said the Japanese rider.

"We had a lot of struggles during tওhe race and then I found it difficult to keep the lap time and stay on the🐲 bike. 

"Of course, we are not happy about thiᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚs position. However, last week🌜end I had a crash and today we finished the race and we have to think about it positively. 

"We have gathered a lot of data here ▨in Qatar and now we look forward to the next race in Portimão."

For Marquez, 𝄹it was a crash at turn 14 which ended his race, but like his team-mate the former 2019 Moto2 champion is looking forward to Portimao. 

"Second race here in Qatar and it ended not in the way we wanted. I made a small mistake on turn 14 and I lost my front tyre which is hard for the team as 𒆙I was trying to make a good start to 𒊎the race," added Marquez. 

"I was a little bit inside i🌌n the corner. Anyway, not easy days for us here in Qatar, but I think we are there, we are competitive, we are constant.&nb൩sp;

"Now, it is tim▨e to improve, to learn … I don’t want to say any excuse. I⛄ will be more competitive and stronger in Portimao."