Alex Marquez: “I didn’t feel productive - Honda didn’t profit from me”

The younger brother of Marc Marquez spent the 2020 MotoGP season riding for Honda’s factory team, delivering some rare glimmers of light in an otherwise difficult year.

But he was replaced by Pol Espargaro after one year, and was moved to LCR Honda, where he remained for two years until his departure this month for Gresini Ducati for whom he will feature in a new-look 2023 MotoGP rider line-up.

“Honestly, in that moment I did not really agree with that decision,” Marquez said about being moved to LCR Honda.

“But I respected it, and I understood the position of Honda. But we can’t change the past.

“That decision was a little bit hard for me, and I didn’t feel productive inside LCR for Honda – not for the team, for Honda.

“So, I had many days there where I was like ‘Ok, I can help’. Honda didn’tprofit from me.

“At that moment it was hard for me but I needed to accept it.

“I learned a lot, I’m grateful to Honda, they gave the opportunity to me. We can just look to the future.”

His switch to Ducati is particularly notable because he leaves behind his brother Marc whose hopes for the 2023 championship may rest with the underperforming Honda bike.

But Alex said: “I had a good relationship with Honda. I didn’t have any problems. 

“It’s not the same in the satellite team and the factory team. OK, your contract can be factory but it’s not exactly the same.

“The satellite team, always new pieces arrive later, and when you have a bike with a lot of problems you can feel it a lot.

“But my relationship with Honda will always be great, I will always be grateful because they gave me the opportunity to jump to MotoGP. I won with them in Moto3.”