“Marc Marquez doesn’t give up - so what does he do? Crashes”
Marquez crashed out of fourth-place on the fourth lap of the Italian MotoGP at Mugello on Sunday.
The Repsol Honda rider has failed to finish the most recent four grands prix that he has started, while also missing three rounds due to injury.
Sylvain Guintoli said about his fall at Mugello: “As usual, he was over-riding the bike. He was doing everything that he can.
“Just as in Le Mans, he was in a fight for the podium.
“He has to make up time in the braking zone. He went a bit wide in the dirty part of the track. He doesn’t understand why he crashed.
“It was basically too much lean in the dirty part of the track. He was on the outside, the back just falls.
“For Marc and for Honda, there is a lot of work to do. They have to make the package better.
“He’s over-riding - he’s able to, in qualifying, produce miracles.
“But over a race distance, it’s impossible.
“We know Marc doesn’t give up. So what does he do? Crashes.
“Hopefully they can bring the package closer to the Ducati package, to the better bikes.
“And we can see a more competitive Marc.”
Marquez is 116 points behind Francesco Bagnaia, who won at Mugello, in the MotoGP standings.
His slim hopes of winning the championship appear to be over, by the sixth round.
The bigger picture is that, after a dreadful 2022, Honda are still no closer to giving the most esteemed rider on the current grid a machine worthy of his talent.
He is contracted to them for next year too, on very lucrative terms, but Marquez is 30-years-old now and must know that the clock is ticking on his ability to become a seven-time MotoGP champion.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
