Marc Márquez identifies 2021 Honda MotoGP bike weakness.

Marc Marquez says he was better able to understand the weak points of the 2021 Honda MotoGP bike compared to its predecessor during last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

The six-time MotoGP world champion rode to eighth in last Sunday’s Jerez race, the second of his comeback from a nine-month injury layoff.

Though he is still not at his physical peak yet, he admitted his condition was better on the bike than it was in Portugal, and this allowed him for the first time this year to understand more about the 2021 RC213V.

Having followed teammate Pol Espargaro, HRC test rider Stefan Bradl and Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco in the Spanish GP, Marquez noted the 2021 RC213V is weak mid-exit of corners.

“I had the opportunity to follow Stefan, to follow Pol and also to follow Johann for a few laps,” Marquez said when asked by Motorsport.com where he found the bike to be weaker compared to the last Honda he rode.

“And where we are losing more is mid-exit corner.

“So, it’s where normally if you want to ride fast and consistent, it’s where you need to be strong and it’s where we are losing more.

“So, we need to understand why. Now we are trying to analyse all the thing.

“I mean, for me the key of this weekend is that I improved a lot my physical condition compared to Portimao.”

Marquez had hoped to further evaluate the bike in Monday’s post-race test at Jerez, but pulled out after just seven laps owing to pain in his neck from his big FP3 crash – which he admitted left him “destroyed” after the grand prix.

“So, we didn’t test. We just did one run and the second run I already felt something,” he said on Monday.

“My body was locked, especially the neck and also the right shoulder.

“It’s something similar but in a better way to Portimao. In Portimao I rode and I suffered a lot, and then on Monday I was completely locked. But here in Jerez I felt better.

“It’s true the crash I had on Saturday didn’t help the situation, but anyway I tried because I thought that maybe when the body got warm it would be ok.

“But immediately I saw I was not in a good level to ride the bike and try things.”

Honda riders had a busy test on Monday, with all of them trying various new parts – with the marque bringing five different aerodynamic fairings to evaluate.

After declaring his RC213V “a mess” in the Jerez race, Espargaro expressed frustration at the fact all Honda riders during the Spanish GP weekend were working with different packages and felt this is holding back development.

Source: Marc Márquez on Facebook

☀️ #primavera #spring

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Jerez, Andalucia, Spain 2018

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It’s race week! Round 4 takes us to Jerez in Spain for the #SpanishGP

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Marc Márquez doesn’t know when he’ll be fully fit on MotoGP bike.

Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez admits he doesn’t know when he’ll be fully fit this season after making his comeback from injury last weekend in Portugal.

The Honda rider scored an impressive seventh-place finish at Portimao in his first race in nine months since breaking his right arm in last July’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Marquez had only ridden a motorcycle three times since his aborted comeback at the second Jerez race last year and was off two wheels on the month prior to Portugal on doctors orders.

This meant he suffered in the latter stages of the Portuguese GP, admitting he couldn’t even get his elbow down such was his physical state.

Marquez has been ordered by doctors not to ride any bikes between races and keep his gym training light while the bone in his arm continues to strengthen.

This, coupled with the varying physical nature of MotoGP tracks, has made it difficult for Marquez to aim for a time when he expects to be fully fit again.

“Honestly speaking I don’t know, because it depends on the circuit, if it’s really physical track or not,” he said when asked when he expected to be back to full fitness.

“For example, the last seven laps [in Portugal] I was not even able to use the elbow to touch the ground.

“I was riding in a really strange riding style and I was not able to do anything.

“Another important point that we already speak with the doctors before this race, and the comeback to the competition means the training at home has to be less.

“So, that means now from race to race I will not ride any bike, I will just train at the gym three, four days maximum and with not a lot of weight [training] because the bone is ok, but the stress that we can put on the bone must be progressive.

“It cannot be every day and every week. So, this is another reason that will of course means it will take time to come back in a good physical condition.

“But I must follow the advice from the doctors because they give to me the opportunity a MotoGP bike.

“So, now I will just ride a bike race by race, and then after the next check we’ll see how the bone is and if we can do a little bit more.

“But the next check will be after Jerez.”

Marquez sits 14th in the championship on nine points after his comeback race with a not insurmountable 52-point gap to standings leader Fabio Quartararo.

In 2020, Joan Mir came from 48 points adrift in 14th after the first three rounds to win the championship, while Marquez overcame a 37-point deficit after six races in 2017 to win the title.

Source: Marc Márquez on Facebook