Repsol Honda team manager Alberto Puig has acknowledged that Marc Marquez is ‘obviously not happy’ after a run of damaging crashes has left the Spaniard uncharacteristically demoralised.
The 30-year-old came off five times at the German round of the MotoGP World Championship at the Sachsenring last weekend, withdrawing from the main race due to fracturing his thumb and ribs after a spill in morning warm-up.
Marquez cut a downbeat figure at the Dutch TT at Assen on Friday, where he ended practice in 19th position on the combined times after slipping off towards the end of the afternoon session.
Yet to finish a Sunday Grand Prix race in seven rounds this season, Marquez will now have to participate in Q1 to seal his spot in final qualifying.
His frustration with the factory RC213V bubbled over at the Sachsenring when Marquez was caught on camera giving the finger to his bike after surviving a big moment when the rear let go.
The six-time MotoGP champion is currently going through a difficult moment in his Honda career, which team manager Puig accepted in an interview with the official MotoGP website at Assen.
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“Obviously not happy, obviously bruised and battered,” said Puig.
“Not in his best physical condition. He’s had a lot of impacts, he crashed a lot in Germany. There is not one rider in the planet who is happy crashing.
“He understands clearly the bike is not performing how he needs.
“On the other hand, he’s a champion and he’s pushing – that is why he is crashing. He never gives up, he never accepts it.
“Now, it’s a time where it’s becoming quite serious. He must take it easy,” added Puig.
“Here in Assen, he is affected by the ribs and the ankle, so we’ll see how he does.
“Overall, we know he is not happy but we respect him.”
Questions have been asked about Marquez’s future at Honda, with Aussie 500cc Grand Prix legend Mick Doohan going as far as saying he needs to move to a rival manufacturer to have any chance of equalling Valentino Rossi’s seven premier class titles.
For now, though, Marquez says he remains committed to working with Honda to improve the RCV.
“If I’m here, it’s because my compromise with Honda is the maximum,” Marquez said, speaking at Assen.
“I want to work with them to improve the future and to improve our project.
“I’m here to work with them. At the moment, of course I’m here to work with them and as I say, working with them means next year’s project.
“This year will not change life too much. The compromise is the maximum.”
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