Tag: Moto GP

06 Mar, 2022

Moto GP

Marc Márquez finishes fifth in Qatar

After his lightning start, Marquez held strong as the likes of Brad Binder, Joan Mir and Bastianini piled on the pressure in the opening laps. Wanting more from the front tyre, the #93 lapped in the high 1’54s for most of the race as he defended his position in the top three. Taking home a safe fifth place when the flag came out positions Marquez well for the rest of the year, the eight-time World Champion knowing full well that seasons aren’t won at the first race.

Now the MotoGP World Championship prepares to head back to the Mandalika circuit in Indonesia for Round Two on March 20. The race will see MotoGP return to Indonesia for the first time since 1997, when Tadyuki Okada won the 500cc race on his NSR500 from Repsol Honda Team teammate Mick Doohan and Alex Criville.

Marc Márquez, 5th: “Honestly speaking the pace today was just too fast, the speed coming from Pol and the guys at the front was amazing. I did my maximum today and managed everything we had to, it’s the start of a new season and I thought to start with a top five is good for today. Today was not our day as I was struggling with the front tyre, so we kept calm. Of course, we need to keep working. I am happy for Pol and really happy for Honda HRC, this result shows all the work they have been doing and the potential of this new bike.”

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06 Mar, 2022

Moto GP

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26 Jan, 2022

Moto GP

Repsol Honda Team confirm Marc Marquez for Sepang Test

Marc Marquez has been cleared to make his on-track return with the new Honda RC213V and the Repsol Honda Team at the Sepang Test on February 05, 2022.

Throughout the winter Marquez has had continual medical checks and consultations to monitor his diplopia. In recent weeks the improvements in his condition saw his medical team deem his recovery sufficient to return to training on two wheels. The #93 first returned to the motocross track before trying the Honda RC213V-S in Portimao and a Honda CBR600RR in Aragon.

Last Monday, January 24, Marquez underwent another medical check which reconfirmed that the treatment has been a complete success and the eight-time World Champion is in a suitable condition to ride a MotoGP bike.

Therefore, it has been decided that Marquez will start his 2022 campaign at the first official MotoGP Test in Sepang before heading to Mandalika, Indonesia the following week. This will be Marquez’s first time back on a MotoGP machine since winning the 2021 Emilia Romagna GP ahead of Pol Espargaro.

The Repsol Honda Team will head to the first test of the new season at full strength with Marquez alongside Pol Espargaro, who enters his second year with the team.

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26 Jan, 2022

Moto GP

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22 Dec, 2021

Moto GP

Marc Marquez progresses adequately with diplopia diagnosis

The Repsol Honda Team rider, who last October was diagnosed with an episode of diplopia after suffering a fall while training for the Portuguese GP, has continued periodic visits to his trusted ophthalmologist to assess the evolution of his vision over the past two months. During these reviews the progress made has been deemed favorable and as a result Marquez will continue with a conservative treatment plan for the next few weeks.

Marc Marquez will continue to undergo periodic reviews with Dr. Sánchez Dalmau during the coming weeks alongside the conservative treatment plan. The situation does not prevent the rider from Cervera from continuing his physical training plan to prepare himself physically for a new season.

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22 Dec, 2021

Moto GP

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04 Oct, 2021

Moto GP

The Sheriff is back: Marquez cruises to Austin victory

 

Long gone were the hints of rain that had hindered the start of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, the sun shining as the American national anthem echoed along the main straight before the 20-lap MotoGP race.

When the lights went out, Marc Marquez and his Repsol Honda Team RC213V rocketed forward to lead the field out of Turn One. From here there was no looking back as the eight-time World Champion set an unmatchable pace over the following 20 laps. From lap five to lap 15, Marquez never went slower than a 2’04.9 to open up a gap of over four seconds to Fabio Quartararo. There was simply no stopping Marquez on Sunday in Austin as he claimed his seventh win at the circuit.

Marquez’s second win of 2021 also brings with it the 450th podium for the Repsol Honda Team since 1995 in the premier class. With 98 podiums in the iconic Repsol Honda Team colours, Marquez is the second most successful rider in terms of podium finishes for the team behind Dani Pedrosa with 112 top three finishes. This brings the #93’s personal win tally to 58 in the premier class and moves him to seventh in the World Championship standings with 117 points.

The entire Repsol Honda Team will now enjoy a brief moment of rest after three races, and a test, in the last four weekends. Action resumes back at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on October 22 for round 16 of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship season.

Marc Márquez, 1st: “The plan was to do exactly what we did today: start well and fight into the first corner, take the first few laps a bit easy and then when the tyres start to drop a little bit – that’s when I would start to push. It’s exactly what I did and I saw the gap increasing with my lap times in in 2’04 highs, very consistent and comfortable. In the last few laps I was very tired and it wasn’t easy to keep my concentration but Fabio was far behind and my instincts said he would not risk anything as he’s fighting for the championship. Today is a great day, I want to say thanks to the whole of HRC and the Repsol Honda Team who have worked so well all weekend. It’s been a hard season to understand everything, I was really looking for this victory because we know we had a good chance here. It was nice to win here for Nicky Hayden and also for the Viñales family, I have known them since I was eight years old and it’s a hard year for them and for the world of racing.”

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04 Oct, 2021

Moto GP

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20 Sep, 2021

Moto GP

Marc Márquez fights to the finish for fourth in Misano

There was not a moment’s hesitation when the lights went out, Marc Marquez shooting forward on his RC213V and hustling himself into the top five. On lap four of the race Marquez moved past Aleix Espargaro and up into fourth position with Enea Bastianini launching an assault on the eight-time World Champion just a few laps later. Marquez stayed with the Ducati rider until mid-race when Alex Rins slipped past the #93, but Rins would fall on lap 17.

Steady pace in the latter stages of the race saw Marquez gain on Miller in fourth, the pair joined by defending World Champion Joan Mir as they fought it out to the line. A great final half of the lap saw Marquez gain an advantage on the back straight and used the power of his Honda RC213V to fire out of the last corner and lock in fourth place. This is Marquez’s first back-to-back top five finishes since his return from injury. He holds 92 points and ninth in the World Championship standings.

All five Honda RC213V machines finished inside the points at the San Marino Grand Prix. The riders won’t have to wait long before they’re back on track as the Italian circuit will host a two-day test on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Marc Márquez, 4th: “I am really happy with our performance today because honestly speaking I was not expecting this result today! At the start I was calm and honestly not riding very fast, but step by step we went faster and our feeling improved. The key point was staying calm in the first laps and pushing at the end, I’m quite proud about the last part of the race because I brought Mir with me. In practice it was a little different, I was following him, but in the race, he was following me and we caught Jack. In the last lap I didn’t feel like I could fight, but Mir and Miller went wide and I saw my opportunity! It was nice and now we get ready for a really important two-day test here.”

 

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20 Sep, 2021

Moto GP

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13 Sep, 2021

Moto GP

Marc Márquez fights to the flag for a brilliant second in Aragon

A return to the podium with his hardest battle of the year at Marc Marquez keeps his Aragon top-two run alive with his fifth podium in his five most recent races at the track.

Morning fog delayed Warm Up on Sunday in Aragon, but that would quickly burn away as the hottest day of the weekend settled in. When the MotoGP field rolled onto the grid, the track temperature was already closing in on 50°C and the scene was set for what would turn out to be a titanic clash, the hot conditions matching the action on track.

From the second row of the grid, Marc Marquez shot forward and immediately made his presence known in the podium battle with Bagnaia just ahead. These two would remain locked together for the entirety of the race, matching each other’s lap times and eventually opening up a sizable advantage over the battle for third. Marquez spent much of the race behind the Ducati rider, studying and looking for areas of weakness where he could pass later in the race. As the final five laps began, the #93 upped his pace and began to increase the pressure on Bagnaia before exploding into a full assault with two laps remaining.

In the final three laps, the lead changed a total of 14 times as Marquez and Bagnaia battled. In true Marquez-style, the eight-time World Champion refused to give up until the very last moment on the final lap. Rolling out of an ambitious move into Turn 12, Marquez ultimately took a well-earned second place and his second podium finish of the season. This is his fifth consecutive podium at the MotorLand Aragon circuit, and his second since returning from injury in 2021. Marquez now holds 79 points and is tenth overall in the MotoGP World Championship standings.

Now the MotoGP paddock heads directly to Misano for round 14 of the 2021 World Championship.

Marc Márquez, 2nd: “I pushed hard all race but on the last three laps I really tried everything. Sometimes when you try like this you make a mistake, you crash and the result isn’t good. But I still tried and I think everyone watching it enjoyed a lot! I knew it would be really difficult, fighting against the Ducati is hard because they brake very late and accelerate very well plus today, Pecco was riding in a perfect way. It was a great battle with him, I enjoyed it a lot. After two crashes in a row, it’s not easy to give everything and put it on the line like in this race. In Turn 1 on the last lap I couldn’t stop well and I couldn’t make it happen at Turn 5 either. My last chance was Turn 12 but as soon as I went to the dirty part of the track, I knew it would be impossible and I ran wide. I’m happy because we were able to fight and our race pace was fast and also because this race provides extra motivation to me, to HRC and everyone in the box. Thanks to everyone for their hard work.”

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13 Sep, 2021

Moto GP

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30 Aug, 2021

Moto GP

An early end for Marc at Silverstone

It was a strong start for Marc Marquez as well behind his teammate, the eight-time World Champion keeping position among the leaders. Contact with Jorge Martin sent Marquez wide soon after, the pair coming together again soon after and both falling. This would end Marquez’s race. Unharmed, the #93 returned to the garage to debrief with his team before heading to apologise to Martin and his Pramac Racing Team for the contact. Marquez is now refocusing himself on the upcoming race in Aragon, his home round.

Although ultimately on race day it proved to be a weekend of two halves for the Repsol Honda Team, Marquez showed significant and consistent speed over the course of the GP. Round 13 will be at the Aragon circuit, a track where the RC213V has excelled – having taken seven wins from the 12 Grands Prix held there since 2010.

Marc Márquez, DNF: “First of all I want to say sorry to Jorge Martin, already I went to him and his team to say sorry after the race. It was my mistake; I was too optimistic with that overtake. Races are sometimes like this and today it was me who made the mistake. Overall the weekend has been quite good as we have been fast in a lot of sessions, even after a big crash on Friday. It’s a shame to make this mistake in the race because we had the pace to do something interesting here today.”

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30 Aug, 2021

Moto GP

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15 Aug, 2021

Moto GP

Marquez chases victory in Austria

Marc Marquez and the Honda RC213V showed their speed with an incredible race around the Red Bull Ring that was left ultimately unrewarded.

Eyes were again turned skyward as the grid formed up just before 14:00 Local Time, ominous grey clouds and occasional spots of rain making many nervous, but the Austrian Grand Prix was ultimately declared a dry race. Marc Marquez saw his chance and shot forward off the line, battling the fast-starting Ducatis into the first corner. After the opening corners the #93 settled into his rhythm, picking off Zarco and Martin and edging towards Bagnaia in the lead with Martin in tow.

The gap between the leading trio of Bagnaia, Quartararo and Marquez yo-yoed throughout much of the race but with seven laps to go, Marquez had his first taste of the lead. Then the rain came. In true Marc Marquez style, the eight-time World Champion attacked and opened a lead as the rain began to fall harder, until it reached a tipping point and he pulled into the pits with four laps remaining for his wet bike. Unfortunately, a fall at Turn One two laps later would end Marquez’s incredible victory challenge, rejoining the race to collect a single point for his incredible effort. Marquez rates this Sunday as his best of the season, able to battle for victory in the dry and make significant improvements over the previous weekend.

After two intense weeks in Austria, the championship will resume in Silverstone on August 27 for the British Grand Prix – the MotoGP World Championship returning there for the first time since 2019.

Marc Márquez, 15th: “In the situation we are in this year, I prefer to fight for victory or with the top riders in the dry than to even win a wet race or a flag-to-flag. So today I enjoyed the race a lot, I really felt competitive, and we were right there and able to fight. Pecco was riding really well, but I was with him and at the end I felt something special. Before the race it looked like the rain could help me, but finally it was the opposite! We made a big step this weekend but there’s still more we need to find. We struggled here last weekend, we understood why and we improved. I am happy about today’s race, it’s only one point but I really enjoyed getting it. This is my best Sunday of the year.”

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15 Aug, 2021

Moto GP

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03 Jun, 2021

Moto GP

Repsol Honda Team aim to regroup in Barcelona

After a difficult Italian GP on and off the track, Marc Marquez is looking to get back to work and back to where they know they can be.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Montmelo will host round seven of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, the Barcelona track a mainstay of the Grand Prix calendar. 2021 presents a revised layout around Turn 10 for riders to now master, the changes made to improve safety. The 24-lap MotoGP race on Sunday is sure to be another thrilling affair as the season continues to rapidly progress.

For the first time since returning from injury, Marc Marquez will race on back-to-back weekends. This presents a unique test for his physical condition and the eight-time World Champion is ready to take the weekend as it comes. Throughout his premier class career, Marquez has twice won the Catalan GP and only missed the podium on one occasion – in 2015 when he fell while battling for the lead. Marquez’s objective for the weekend remains the same as he looks to improve both himself and the Repsol Honda Team RC213V over the course of the Grand Prix.

Marc Márquez: “Although our last race was not good, overall Mugello was a weekend with some positives for us as it was quite consistent. We know where we are, we know where we want to go and we will keep following the correct steps week by week. In Montmelo it seems that there will be some fans in the grandstands again, the fans give a great atmosphere, and it will be very nice to see some people in the stands again at the home GP.”

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03 Jun, 2021

Moto GP

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18 Apr, 2021

Moto GP

Heroic seventh for returning Marquez

All eyes were on the eight-time World Champion as he put in a champion’s effort to finish the Portuguese Grand Prix in a scintillating seventh.

The sun was again shining on the Algarve as the MotoGP World Championship lined up for round three of the 2021 season. A calm Warm Up session saw both the Repsol Honda Team riders confirm the feeling on their respective Honda RC213V machines.

When the lights went out, Marc Marquez was the centre of attention as he shot forward from sixth and immediately began to battle inside the top three. The fighting was fierce, and a still-recovering Marquez found himself forced to ease the intensity of his fight. Settling into his rhythm, the #93 worked to hold his spot in the top ten while avoiding any costly mistakes.

Completing his objective of finishing the race, Marquez crossed the line in seventh and as top Honda. The incredible effort of the race was clear to see as an emotional Marc Marquez was welcomed back into the Repsol Honda Team garage to a roar of applause from the team. With his nine points for seventh, Marc Marquez ends a point drought of 518 days.

The MotoGP World Championship now settles into a familiar rhythm, a week away from the circuit before returning for round four in Jerez. 

Marc Márquez, 7th: “There were a lot of emotions this weekend and when I arrived in the box I just exploded, not for the pain but there was something inside that needed to come out. I felt so much support from everyone and especially my family and friends. To feel like a MotoGP rider again was the most important thing and it was a great feeling. I didn’t enjoy today’s race, I suffered a lot, but it was the most important step in my recovery so far. We were able to finish the race, that was our main goal – the position didn’t matter but to finish 13 seconds behind first was an impossible dream. I think I felt best when I was riding alone in the middle of the race, the start of the race was a bit of a shock after so long! The last laps were just about finishing. Now we look to Jerez.”

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18 Apr, 2021

Moto GP

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