Honda rider Alex Marquez is facing his third season: After two years of learning, Marc Marquez’s brother must improve to establish himself in MotoGP
The 2022 MotoGP season is groundbreaking for Alex Marquez. The younger brother of Marc Marquez experienced a disappointing second season last year and struggled mightily to improve on the results of his rookie season. Finishing 16th in the World Championship, the 2019 Moto2 World Champion fell well short of expectations.
Alex Marquez struggled most of the time, especially in qualifying. Apart from eighth on the grid at the second Portimao weekend, the LCR rider did not manage a top-10 result in qualifying. Alex Marquez’s working day was mostly over after Q1.
Only in two races did the Spaniard make it into the top six. In the chaotic rain race at Le Mans he finished sixth and in the second Portimao race he scored his best result of the season with fourth place. But after two second places in the rookie season, expectations were higher.
Alex Marquez’s performances in the 2021 season are not expected to be enough to establish himself in MotoGP in the long term. Therefore, Alex Marquez will have to improve significantly in the 2022 MotoGP season. He is encouraged by the lessons learned in the past two years and the potential of the new Honda RC213V.
Alex Marquez suffers like all Honda riders at the beginning of the season
“2021 was not an easy year, especially at the beginning of the season,” Alex Marquez looks back. “I think that was the case for all Honda riders. But we worked very hard and together with the people from HRC we were able to improve a lot during the year. We ended the year with great performances. “
“Of course it could have been better, but compared to the beginning of the season it was not bad. The confidence and the feeling were better,” compares the LCR Honda rider. “When you struggle like I did in 2021, it’s a good year to learn as a rider. When you have a lot of problems, you learn to try and become a better rider. “
Will the 2022 prototype be the “gamechanger”?
Hopeful Alex Marquez thanks to the post-season test in Jerez. He got on better with the 2022 version of the Honda RC213V than with the old model. His Honda brand colleagues also praise the new machine (see Pol Espargaro and Takaaki Nakagami’s reactions).
“I tried the new prototype in Jerez in November. I had a great feeling with it. Some parts were really good. Especially the rear grip was much better, because that was our problem in 2021. But we still have to work on some parts. We also have to try this 2022 version on different courses to understand the bike better. But the potential is there,” Alex Marquez is convinced.
In two weeks, MotoGP will test for two days at Sepang and then three more days at the new circuit in Indonesia. “We have only five days to prepare. Every day will be very important to draw conclusions and build the right feeling so that we come to Qatar well prepared,” commented Alex Marquez.
But the technical improvements are not solely responsible for achieving better results. “I know I have to improve. It’s not just the bike,” Alex Marquez notes. “I have to improve in the different conditions and try to become a more complete rider. I have to try to be there all the time and not show such changeable performances like in 2021. “