Honda’s Kalex chassis “a meeting point” between Marquez and Mir’s desires
Rather than a design to tailor the RC 213V to their star rider’s extreme preferences, Honda will reportedly also factor in the riding styles of Joan Mir and Alex Rins.
The new chassis is “the meeting point” between Marquez’s desires and the two ex-Suzuki riders hopes, according to Men On Wheels.
Honda asked Kalex to collaborate on a new chassis to “minimise reaction times”, the report says, which should be music to Marquez’s ears.
He has been bemoaning how his Japanese manufacturer has fallen behind European rivals in Ducati and Aprilia, but the input from Germany company Kalex might bridge that gap.
Little is known about the new chassis. Test rider Stefan Bradl had to interrupt a test in Jerez this week to travel to Texas instead, where he will race instead of the injured Marquez at the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas, the third round of 2023.
The elephant in the room, of course, is that Marquez himself will not be present.
He remains absent after needing hand surgery, caused by his crash into Miguel Oliveira in the season-opening Portimao grand prix.
Mir, who missed the second round in Argentina due to injury, will return for COTA. Marquez will be replaced by Bradl.
It will be a fascinating subplot to the weekend to see how Honda approach the two races.
Without their main rider, will they race flat-out or use Bradl to gather feedback on their latest chassis, in advance of Marquez’s comeback?
Marquez hopes to be back for the fourth round, in Jerez, where Bradl has already tested the Kalex chassis.
The final decision on his double long lap penalty, for the crash into Oliveira in Portimao, is still pending after Honda appealed a rewording of the rule.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
