MotoGp, Ducati alert for Marc Marquez and Puig

Marc Marquez and HRC team manager Alberto Puig go on pressure on Honda ahead of 2023: “We can’t win now”

At Honda’s home after Marc Marquez’s sharp words in the Sepang postrace also resonates the alarm of HRC team manager Alberto Puig: Honda is conspicuously behind Ducati ahead of the 2023 World Championship.

The dominance of the Borgo Panigale team’s bikes has been evident in the premier class, especially from mid-season onward, while the Japanese team, despite Marquez’s return as a boost in the right direction, still has a long way to go to become competitive again.

“Marc Marquez’s qualifying and his third place was unreal. But our real pace was seen on Sunday, and with that pace you can’t win a Grand Prix. We can’t fight for victory, it’s not where we should be,” Puig explained in the briefing following the Malaysian Grand Prix.

“It’s not easy when our riders are frustrated, we have a lot to improve. We need a turnaround, to take a step forward.”