15 May, 2022

Moto GP

Marc Márquez salvage points from trying French GP

The French GP was ultimately a weekend of ups and downs as Marc worked to deliver the maximum potential result in Le Mans.

A morning spit of rain would ultimately amount to nothing as the Le Mans circuit hosted one of the hottest French Grands Prix in recent years. Over 100,000 passionate French fans made for an electric atmosphere as the MotoGP World Championship lined up for round seven of the 2022 season.

Both Repsol Honda Team riders started the race well when the lights went out at 14:00 Local Time, Marc Marquez opting for a wider line through the fast Turn One. There was no waiting around as the eight-time World Champion immediately began to work his way forward, sliding past Nakagami and Quartararo at the end of the first lap. Steady pace followed as Marquez tried to close the distance to the leading group on his RC213V, holding firm in seventh place for much of the race. Crashes ahead would see Marquez cross the line sixth place, collecting ten points.

With a total of 54 points, Marc Marquez maintains his position inside the top-ten in the overall standings.

There is now a week off before the Repsol Honda Team face yet another back-to-back challenge with Mugello and Barcelona, two iconic tracks within less than ten days of each other.

Marc Márquez, SIXTH: “I said yesterday that with a good race our position would be fifth, sixth or seventh and we finished sixth – even if our real position was ninth because there were some falls. It was a solid race at our pace, but it was a really long race and I wasn’t able to push towards the end. All we can do is keep on working, that’s the best way to improve for the future. My target is not just to be finishing as top Honda, it’s to be finishing on the podium but we are not there yet. There’s still more to understand in the next races to close the gap to the front.”

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15 May, 2022

Moto GP

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02 May, 2022

Moto GP

Fighting fourth from Marquez ignites the Spanish GP crowd

It might not have been the podium he was aiming for, but Marc Marquez showed he’s ready to fight with a spirited ride to fourth.

Crowds at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España were back to their best as the flocked to the hills of the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto from dawn. Pushing 60,000, the home fans were wanting a show and the 25-lap MotoGP race certainly didn’t disappoint.

Initially launching off the line well, Marc Marquez found Aleix Espargaro in his path and had to alter his trajectory through the opening corner but quickly passed the Aprilia rider. A three-way game of chess would quickly emerge between Marquez, Aleix Espargaro and Miller as the trio tested each other for the majority of the race with a podium finish in view. The powder keg would ignite in the closing laps, Marquez attacking Miller and moving into third place with just five laps to go and with Miller so strong on the brakes, Marquez knew that attacking through the fast Turn 5 would be his best option as their chess game escalated.

From there it was a brawl as Marquez, Miller and Espargaro battled – an incredible save from the #93 at the final corner allowing Espargaro to just break away. A fired-up Marquez refused to let the moment hold him back as he fought until the very end with Miller, pushing his Honda RC213V to the limit and sending the crowd into a frenzy as he left long black lines around the track as Marquez looked to get past Miller again. 13 points in his pocket, Marquez moves up two positions into ninth overall in the championship and sits 45 points behind defending World Champion Fabio Quartararo.

The Repsol Honda Team will now remain in Jerez for the first in-season test of the year, a brief but important Monday test at the 4.4-kilometre-long track. The objective for both Marquez and Espargaro is to find the speed and feeling they had during the winter tests and return to consistently battling at the front of the field.

Marc Márquez, 4º: “Today I gave my maximum and achieved the maximum. I saved my energy through the whole weekend to be ready for Sunday because I’m still not in the condition to do a whole weekend at 100%. It’s the Spanish GP, I had to give it everything on race day. At one point in the race, I thought maybe the podium was possible, the key point was overtaking Miller and stopping Aleix because he was faster than us. This is what I tried to do but then at the last corner I lost the front and the rear but fortunately the Spanish crowd were there to pick me up and save the crash! We don’t give up; we keep pushing and now we prepare for an important Monday test.”

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02 May, 2022

Moto GP

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24 Apr, 2022

Moto GP

Marc Márquez finishes sixth in Portugal

A pair of safe finishes for the Repsol Honda Team in at the Portuguese Grand Prix brought with them solid points as Marc Marquez crossed the line in sixth.

Sunday in Portimao started with perhaps the most important session of the weekend, the dry Warm Up the first real chance for the Repsol Honda Team to gather good data in the dry after two days of rain. Both Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro spent the entirety of the session on track to maximise the information gained. A late lap saw Marquez end the morning in third with Espargaro further down the timesheet in 14th.

Marc Marquez put together a safe Grand Prix in Portimao, crossing the line in sixth place after a close battle with LCR Honda rider Alex Marquez which saw the pair battle to the finish line. Starting in ninth place, Marquez was able to hold position inside the group as the field filtered through the tight opening sector of the track. Settling into tenth place as the first lap came to a close, the eight-time World Champion made steady progress over the following laps and passed his teammate after a brief but intense battle with 19 laps to go. Falls ahead saw Marquez promoted two positions before he ultimately fought for sixth place against Alex Marquez, the pair’s battle going right to the finish.

After the race, Marquez heads to Jerez 11th in the World Championship standings with 31 points – now 38 points behind new World Championship leader and race-winner Fabio Quartararo.

The Repsol Honda Team will now head immediately to Jerez de la Frontera for round six of the MotoGP World Championship. Improving results on both sides of the Repsol Honda Team garage is the only objective for the weekend.

Marc Márquez, 6^th: “It’s not the result we want or want to be fighting for but today we did not have the feeling. Already in Warm Up I was not feeling how I wanted, and we made a small change for the race which helped a bit but the speed of our rivals was more than we had. We were there fighting with Pol in the start of the race and then Alex in the second half, it was an all-Honda battle really. Within this battle we were able to come out on top which was a positive but it’s true this is not where we should be. We need to be faster, in Jerez it’s time to be faster and finish closer to the front.”

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24 Apr, 2022

Moto GP

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20 Mar, 2022

Moto GP

Marc Márquez sits out the race after being declared unfit to ride

Sunday at Mandalika started with a big scare for the Repsol Honda Team, who saw rider Marc Márquez suffer a spectacular crash during the Warmup. After a highside at Turn 7, the eight-time World Champion was declared unfit to compete in the Indonesian GP. He suffered a concussion during the crash and will return to Spain for a check-up.

After the Indonesian Grand Prix, Marquez is 12th with 11 points.

Marc Márquez: “What can I say? It has not been our weekend, we have struggled and had problems from the start. It was a really big crash in Warm Up this morning, maybe one of the biggest I have had. I went to the local hospital and while there were no serious problems – it was decided that I should not race. It’s of course a shame, but the best decision.”

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20 Mar, 2022

Moto GP

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14 Feb, 2022

Moto GP

Marc Márquez ends MotoGP pre-season with good feelings

Sunday, the final day of MotoGP pre-season testing, saw a late revision to the schedule as riders were given more time for practice starts and the circuit given time to clean the start-finish straight. With the break in action coming at 13:00 Local Time, a natural lunch break was added into the day.

The last day of testing was a day about mileage for eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez as he completed a total of 74 laps. Marc Marquez suffered a fall at Turn 2 but was able to remount and return to the Repsol Honda Team garage before eventually heading back on track. Ultimately ending the day in 14th, Marquez was only 0.733s behind his team-mate as he focused on long runs and bike setup to preserve his shoulder. Overall, Marquez concludes the test in ninth place. The overview of the five days of testing has been ultimately positive for Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team as he returns from injury.

The Repsol Honda Team completed a total of 1,702 kilometers across the three days in Lombok with Marc Marquez totaling 212 laps.

Now the Repsol Honda Team prepare to start another year battling for the MotoGP World Championship, the 28th season of cooperation between Repsol and Honda HRC. The season begins under the Qatar floodlights on Sunday, March 06 where Marc is determined to start the year on the front foot.

Marc Márquez: “I really enjoyed riding the bike a lot today, I was tired at the start of today like everyone but having fun and enjoying riding was the best way to work today. I have some pain in my shoulder today so that’s why we didn’t focus on a time attack, because pushing for a fast lap requires a lot of power and I worked on race pace and setup. I continued to improve my feeling on the bike and comparing now to Malaysia, it’s a big difference. We have made a big step with the new bike and the feeling is getting better with each lap. HRC and the Repsol Honda Team have done a great job to get us to where we are today and I am looking forward to starting the season. A few weeks to keep training more and then we race!”

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14 Feb, 2022

Moto GP

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08 Feb, 2022

Moto GP

Repsol Honda Team reveal 2022 challenge

Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro launch the 2022 Repsol Honda Team livery as the start of a new season rapidly approaches.

The 2022 season begins with renewed motivation for the Repsol Honda Team. Despite experiencing hardships both on and off the track during 2021, there have been incredible highs and moments of celebrations in the last 12 months including a pole position, three wins and five podiums in total. 2021 saw the triumphant return to competition for Marc Marquez, returning to winning ways 581 days after his last win.

Marc Marquez begins 2022 fully recovered from the diplopia which ended his 2021 campaign early. The last two injury-hit seasons have not quelled his hunger and the eight-time World Champion is as determined to fight for the title in his tenth season with the Repsol Honda Team as in his first season. Since stepping up to the premier class in 2013, Marquez has earned six MotoGP World Championship titles, won 59 races, finished on the podium 99 times, and earned pole position on 62 occasions – all with the iconic Repsol Honda Team. All of these are numbers which the #93 is aiming to increase in 2022.

With a successful test in Sepang, Malaysia already under their belts, Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro are now preparing for a new challenge at the Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia with the Repsol Honda Team. Both riders will have three more days of riding before the 2022 MotoGP World Championship begins at the Losail International Circuit, Qatar on Sunday, March 06.

Marc Márquez, 93: “Ten seasons already in MotoGP and ten seasons in the Repsol Honda Team is a dream. I mean it’s something I couldn’t imagine in my best dreams, of course also during these ten years we have achieved very good results, so for sure this is something special and I want to enjoy it. I know we will try to win the title to celebrate it well! My goal this year is to try and fight for the championship. We have started the season well already in Malaysia and now we prepare to head forward to this test in Mandalika and continue our preparations.”

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08 Feb, 2022

Moto GP

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06 Feb, 2022

Moto GP

Rain cuts into promising second day of Sepang Test

Dark clouds broke just after the lunch break and soaked the Malaysian track, Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro still able to profit from a busy morning.

Sepang’s legendary afternoon rain showers finally hit the MotoGP paddock after almost an entire week of uninterrupted running on Sunday, the final day of the first pre-season test. Hitting just as the Repsol Honda Team were returning from their mid-test break, the rain meant there was little to learn in the final afternoon and the squad began to prepare for the trip to Mandalika, Indonesia. Even with the rain, both Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro are content with what they’ve been able to accomplish in a day and a half.

Marc Marquez finishes the second day of the Sepang test in eighth place, a 1’58.332 on his seventh lap of 49 putting him just 0.201s behind Enea Bastianini – fastest on the day. Although unable to do a planned long run due to the weather, Marquez and his side of the Repsol Honda Team garage were able to continue exploring the new Honda RC213V and gaining important knowledge. The coming Mandalika test will allow Marquez to further unlock the potential of the package Honda HRC have prepared over the winter.

The final three days of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship pre-season will begin on February 11 at the new Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia. These three days will be crucial for the Repsol Honda Team as they aim to prepare the new 2022 RC213V for the first race under the Qatari floodlights.

Marc Márquez, 8^th: “I am happy about these two days in Sepang, but also tired! It’s true that it is very positive for us to be here even if I suffered a little bit physically, but we suffer now to enjoy in the season. When I push with the bike, the speed is there, and we are learning a lot about this bike after trying some big things. The bike certainly has potential and today we understood the front feeling better after some changes we made. Pol and Alex were fast in the long ran which is encouraging. I did a few laps in the damp and felt good too.”

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06 Feb, 2022

Moto GP

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09 Nov, 2021

Moto GP

Marc Marquez to miss Valencia Grand Prix and Jerez Test

The Repsol Honda Team rider will not participate in the Valencia Grand Prix this coming weekend, nor in the IRTA Jerez Test scheduled for November 18 and 19.

After Marc Marquez underwent a medical examination at the Dexeus Clinic in Barcelona last Tuesday, in which he was evaluated after a fall while practicing off-road, the rider has been resting all week at his home in Cervera.

During these days of rest, Marc has continued to feel unwell and has suffered from vision problems, which is why this Monday he was visited by the ophthalmologist Dr. Sánchez Dalmau at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, who examined him and performed the tests, which detected a new episode of diplopia.

Doctor Sánchez Dalmau

Ophthalmologist

“The examination carried out on Marc Marquez today after the accident that occurred has confirmed that the rider has diplopia and has revealed a paralysis of the fourth right nerve with involvement of the right superior oblique muscle. A conservative treatment with periodic updates has been chosen to follow with the clinical evolution. This fourth right nerve is the one that was already injured in 2011.”

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09 Nov, 2021

Moto GP

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04 Nov, 2021

Moto GP

Marquez to miss Algarve Grand Prix

This past Saturday Marc Marquez, while preparing for the Algarve Grand Prix with one of his standard off-road training sessions, suffered a fall that caused a slight head concussion. After a few days of rest at home and seeing that he was still unwell, today Marquez has been assessed by doctors in a medical check-up to evaluate his current status. As a precautionary measure, this coming weekend Marquez will not contest the Algarve Grand Prix.

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04 Nov, 2021

Moto GP

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24 Oct, 2021

Moto GP

Two victories in a row for Marc Márquez

Sunday on the Italian coast marked the 450th Grand Prix race start made the by the Repsol Honda Team, following on from last race where the team achieved their 450th premier class podium. It would prove to be a fortuitous Sunday as the Repsol Honda Team went on to take a dominating 1-2 finish in the race.

Marc Marquez made another lightning start off the line and shot forward from the third row of the grid to immediately move into podium contention. A crash for Jack Miller just a few laps later left only Marquez and Misano 1 race-winner Francesco Bagnaia to push each other at the front and break away from those behind. The pair traded fastest laps as the #93 kept within a few tenths of the Ducati for the majority of the race. In the closing laps Bagnaia looked to have the edge over Marquez who eased his pace to secure a safe second, but a sudden fall for Bagnaia promoted Marquez to the lead of the race – a lead which he maintained ahead of his Repsol Honda Team teammate to take his first back-to-back wins since the Japanese and Australian GPs in 2019.

After a difficult period, Honda and the Repsol Honda Team have shown the progress they are making as they aim to return to the front of the World Championship in 2022. The result is the first 1-2 for the Honda RC213V since the 2019 Australian Grand Prix when Marquez won ahead of Cal Crutchlow.

Marquez now moves to sixth in the World Championship with 142 points, just seven points shy of Miller and a top five position in the championship.

Honda HRC and the Repsol Honda Team would like to congratulate Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha on winning the 2021 MotoGP World Championship.

Marc Márquez, 1^st: “This is a much more important victory than Austin. My target was to be on the podium here or in Portimao, on a ‘right’ circuit to finish the season. And we won. We won here in Misano where usually we are not strong and today we had a race pace that was super-fast. When Pecco started to push, honestly speaking I said ‘ok’ and I relaxed a bit but he crashed. Fortunately, he’s ok and we were able to take profit because he had the edge. We keep improving and this is the best way to finish the 2021 season as we prepare for 2022. When you look at the gap compared to the first race here, we’ve made a step. I also want to say a big congratulations to Fabio for his title, he has been incredible this year and he really deserves it. Today is his day but I look forward to fighting with him again next year.”

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24 Oct, 2021

Moto GP

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