Stoner: Marquez ‘the fastest rider still’, but would he have left Honda too?

So often the benchmark rider and team combination, Marquez and Honda will split at the end of the season as Marquez aims to become a MotoGP race winner again.

Honda’s fall from the top of MotoGP has been sudden, as the likes of Ducati, KTM and Aprilia have out-developed the Japanese brand in recent seasons.

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But would Stoner, who enjoyed a MotoGP title win with both manufacturers, have made the same call?

Speaking to TNT Sports, Stoner said: “Not if the manufacturer was showing me that they’re trying their hardest. 

“If you’re putting in all your effort and they are, then it’s like winning together, losing together and let’s grow old together sort of thing. 

“But if they're not showing him the same effort that he’s putting in; maybe he’s seen things coming too slowly and are showing no ambition to speed things up, then you’ve kind of got to really get out there as a career doesn’t last forever. 

“It’s better to move on, at least for a year and see how things go.”

Many expect Marquez to become an instant threat for race wins and even the championship when the 2024 season begins, something Stoner also feels is a very realistic possibility. 

Stoner added: “The championship? That’s a difficult subject - I would say he’s still the fastest rider on the grid but maybe he’s overstated what he thinks these Ducatis are. 

“We saw Rins win [on a Honda] and do great before he got injured. We know that the bike was fine at the beginning of the year but then they all seemed to struggle. 

“Without doubt there’s a chance, a very strong chance.”

Bagnaia struggling, again! 

One of the big storylines from day-one of the Australian MotoGP was the difficulties Francesco Bagnaia was facing.

The championship leader missed out on the top ten in Practice, meaning he will need to go through Q1 like in Mandalika last weekend. 

“He seemed to be struggling a bit. It didn’t seem to be anything with the set-up, just with the front-end,” said Stoner.

The Australian, who worked with Bagnaia’s current crew chief Christian Gabbarini, went on to discuss the impact he can have due to his success and ability to remain calm.

“Christian [Gabbarini] is a fantastic engineer. I think he’s won with every rider he’s worked with in MotoGP. I was his first and then everyone since he’s won races with. 

“Myself, Marc, Jack Miller, Pecco and Jorge Lorenzo. It’s quite a spread to work with. What he was best at is keeping a nice calm garage. 

“He’s fantastic at coming in and getting information out of you.”