Marc Marquez “a sorry story, he’s trying to get out of Honda contract” after finishing Austrian MotoGP
His fall-from-grace from 2019 champion to a rider who needed 10 rou🌊nds just to finish a grand prix has🧔 been stark.
Finally, at 𝓡the Red Bull Ring, a 12th-place finish ended his awful run of not completing a Sunday race this year.
“It’s painful,” said TNT Sports’ Neil Hodgson. “He’s smiling but it🌠 must be killi♈ng his soul inside.
“Marc is an animal, isn’t he? A winning🤡 machine. An eight-time world champion.
“He has never been slow, never setꦦtled for anything. But he’s having to. He’s trying to gather data.
“He’s goꦦt a contract with Honda next year. I’m sure he’s doing all that he can to get out of it. I’m sure 🌸he is, and trying to get on another bike.
“You watch him - the first points of the year? How lo💟ng ago does Portugal seem? Seems like a year a💎go.
“Incredible, real🌺ly. A sorry story, for Honda and Marc.”
Sylvain Guintoli reflected on his first finish of the year: “That’s just how much he’s struggling. The pole lap he did, the fron🃏t row, and what he did at the start of the season, he was over-riding.
“It was great to watch, great enter♈tainment. He made a few mistakes as well.
“But, so mꦅany crashes for him. He just couldn’t go on. He has pressed the rese𝐆t button.
“He is basically using the races as tests to improve the bike because he 🐲knows that he isn’t at the level of the competition.”
Marquez was the only rider to use a soft rear tyre, a sign 🔴that he was ignoring result🐻s to completely prioritise development of Honda’s future bike.
He is contracted to remain with Honda for the duration of his deal, until the end of next year, and has cl🌌aimed that he will stay until then.
But Marq🐠uez has also flirted with a switch to KTM, who were competing at their home race in Austria.
James was a sports journalist at ꦫSky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
