Marc Márquez leaving Honda is seem by many as a big blow for HRC given the time the manufacturer had to show signs of building a stronger bike for the next season, ending up with the rider coming to end the contract he had with the giant japanese while there was still one more season to fulfil. Alberto Puig says he felt ‘very disappointed’ with the rider leaving.

The Team Manager was asked by AS if he saw Márquez leaving as ‘a failure’, the spaniard commented: ‘Well, on a personal level I’m very disappointed, because the relationship I have with Marc is very good. On a company level, it’s obvious that we haven’t been able to make the bike he needed. It is also true that they have been very bad years. We have taken his worst years, because everything with the shoulder has been very complicated for him and for us’.

Puig them said that there was a lot of things happening that added up until the rider decided to leave: ‘In the end, there has been an accumulation of circumstances, almost all of them negative, which have not helped at all. I think that if Marc hadn’t had that accident in Jerez, things would have been different. He wouldn’t have stopped, he would have been on the bike and, surely, the bike would have evolved in a different way. Although talking about everything in the past is no good, of course’.

With Márquez already confirmed at Gresini, Puig says he hopes to see #93 perform well, and even taking wins, but assures he wants to beat him:

– When I have been with a rider who has left I have always been happy with his results. And in Marc’s case, probably even more so, because of the way he has treated me on a personal level. Obviously, he is a champion and all the fans of the motorbike world and all of us who feel involved in this, in my case having also been a rider, know that if he did well and won again it would be a milestone and, of course, I would be happy. I will be happy if Marquez wins again, but I want to beat him. That doesn’t take away from the fact that I work at Honda, that we have to develop a bike, that we are going to have riders and that our objective is to win, whoever it is.

O conteúdo Márquez leaving Honda left Alberto Puig ‘very disappointed’ but he still will be happy to see him win aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Alberto Puig, the team manager of Repsol Honda, has recently clarified some circulating rumors in the MotoGP paddock. Amidst the whirlwind of speculations regarding potential replacements for Marc Márquez, one name that frequently surfaced was Johann Zarco. However, Puig has firmly stated that Repsol Honda never made any contact with the French rider.

The departure of Marc Márquez from Honda has undoubtedly created a significant void in the team, leading to widespread speculation about his potential successor. Zarco, with his impressive track record and recent performances, seemed like a plausible candidate to many. Yet, Puig’s recent statements have put a halt to these rumors.

Speaking to Paddock-GP, Puig mentioned, “I don’t know where these stories come from. We have not approached Johann Zarco, nor have we had any discussions with him about a potential seat in our team.” He emphasized that while Zarco is undoubtedly a talented rider, the team has its strategies and plans for the future.

Puig also touched upon the broader topic of rider transfers and the challenges they pose. “In this sport, rumors spread quickly. It’s essential to focus on facts and not get swayed by speculations,” he added.

The Repsol Honda team is currently evaluating various options for the upcoming season. While the final decision remains under wraps, fans and experts alike are eagerly waiting to see who will take up the mantle after Márquez.

O conteúdo Alberto Puig contradicts Johann Zarco: “We never approached Johann Zarco” aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Marc Márquez was the face of Repsol Honda Team for several yesterday in MotoGP, giving the japanese manufacturer many world titles and being the one to lead the development of the RC213V. Alberto Puig assured that HRC policy was never to hold someone in against their will, at the same time he granted that there are ‘a lot of riders’ that want to ride with the team.

Honda’s Team Manager spoke to AS about the future ex-rider and said that there was never a wish to force the rider to stay, saying right away that the vacancy left open is something that many riders are interested in: ‘If a rider doesn’t want to race with our bikes or may be happier somewhere else, our philosophy is never to forcefully retain a rider just for the sake of it. We have a lot of riders who want to ride with us if they are happy and if everything is ok’.

Puig then said that the future of the development will continue and that Honda has big plans for the future, that now however won’t come in time to have the #93 as part of it: ‘We have some very interesting plans for the future. They are not in time in the case of Márquez’.

Honda is still looking for the future rider to take Márquez’s place and many names have been pointed, with Miguel Oliveira apparently as top contender, but with Maverick Viñales, Aleix Espargaró also on the table or even rider’s like Fabio Di Giannantonio or Jake Dixon, who were also said to be the a very specific shortlist.

Johann Zarco, who signed with LCR Honda is also said to be a possibility to move instead to the factory team, something Lucio Cecchinello certainly and publicly said he didn’t want.

O conteúdo Alberto Puig assures Honda doesn’t lack candidates for Márquez seat: ‘We have a lot of riders who want to ride with us’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Marc Márquez has officially parted ways with the Repsol Honda team. This Thursday, Gresini themselves confirmed that the Cervera rider would be joining their ranks, where he will race alongside his brother Álex in 2024. He leaves a mark on the history of the golden wing brand, which has only positive words to say goodbye to its iconic rider.

It was Alberto Puig who, in a statement to Motogp.com, expressed his gratitude to the rider until the end of the season. The team boss said that ‘it was something that could happen’, despite the fact that, according to him, ‘Marc has been trying to get a bike that suits his style and Honda has been trying to do it’.

However, Puig reveals that ‘unfortunately it wasn’t possible, so the situation was clear: he needed another type of bike for next year and we, Honda, understood that. We thought the best thing to do was to let him go,’ he said.

Puig describes the situation as “sad” due to the departure of his main rider, but he treasures the good things: “We’ve done great things together. We’ve had some incredible moments together. The Repsol Honda team with Marc has achieved many things and Honda is very, very grateful for his contribution. And I’m sure Marc is also very grateful for what we did for him in the other years and for the way we treated him with his injury, as well as for the effort we made to prepare everything he needed in the past to achieve these titles.

The Spanish team manager is aware that “93” “has been trying to work and improve the bike for a long time, it’s true. He made the decision last week, contacted us, explained it to us and we said ‘OK’. The team boss reflects that “we knew it was possible” and that Honda “won’t try to convince a rider who doesn’t want to stay. Honda has a lot of respect for Marc and if his mind is not here and he wants to leave, Honda will never stop someone who wants to leave. We didn’t try to force him to stay if he wasn’t happy.

Therefore, Puig stresses that ‘Honda’s philosophy is Honda’s philosophy: we’re going to keep looking and working to have a competitive bike and that’s our only mentality. Now we have many options, but the challenge of improving and being at the top has always been there. It’s sad, but it’s the way forward. We want Marc to achieve what he wants and have a good career as a rider, but we’re going to try to make a super-competitive bike to compete with him.

Now the big question is who will replace seat 93 on board the RC213V. Something Alberto Puig says he hasn’t seriously considered yet: ‘They think we’re contacting riders. No. Until the day I got the call from Marc and we spoke, we didn’t move, we didn’t contact anyone. The moment he announced he was leaving, we started thinking, but until today, when we’re here, we haven’t sat down to decide. Let’s see how we can sort it out.

O conteúdo Alberto Puig – ‘We’re going to try to make a super-competitive bike to compete against Márquez’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Marc Márquez has officially parted ways with the Repsol Honda team. This Thursday, Gresini themselves confirmed that the Cervera rider would be joining their ranks, where he will race alongside his brother Álex in 2024. He leaves a mark on the history of the golden wing brand, which has only positive words to say goodbye to its iconic rider.

It was Alberto Puig who, in a statement to Motogp.com, expressed his gratitude to the rider until the end of the season. The team boss said that ‘it was something that could happen’, despite the fact that, according to him, ‘Marc has been trying to get a bike that suits his style and Honda has been trying to do it’.

However, Puig reveals that ‘unfortunately it wasn’t possible, so the situation was clear: he needed another type of bike for next year and we, Honda, understood that. We thought the best thing to do was to let him go,’ he said.

Puig describes the situation as “sad” due to the departure of his main rider, but he treasures the good things: “We’ve done great things together. We’ve had some incredible moments together. The Repsol Honda team with Marc has achieved many things and Honda is very, very grateful for his contribution. And I’m sure Marc is also very grateful for what we did for him in the other years and for the way we treated him with his injury, as well as for the effort we made to prepare everything he needed in the past to achieve these titles.

The Spanish team manager is aware that “93” “has been trying to work and improve the bike for a long time, it’s true. He made the decision last week, contacted us, explained it to us and we said ‘OK’. The team boss reflects that “we knew it was possible” and that Honda “won’t try to convince a rider who doesn’t want to stay. Honda has a lot of respect for Marc and if his mind is not here and he wants to leave, Honda will never stop someone who wants to leave. We didn’t try to force him to stay if he wasn’t happy.

Therefore, Puig stresses that ‘Honda’s philosophy is Honda’s philosophy: we’re going to keep looking and working to have a competitive bike and that’s our only mentality. Now we have many options, but the challenge of improving and being at the top has always been there. It’s sad, but it’s the way forward. We want Marc to achieve what he wants and have a good career as a rider, but we’re going to try to make a super-competitive bike to compete with him.

Now the big question is who will replace seat 93 on board the RC213V. Something Alberto Puig says he hasn’t seriously considered yet: ‘They think we’re contacting riders. No. Until the day I got the call from Marc and we spoke, we didn’t move, we didn’t contact anyone. The moment he announced he was leaving, we started thinking, but until today, when we’re here, we haven’t sat down to decide. Let’s see how we can sort it out.

O conteúdo Alberto Puig – ‘We’re going to try to make a super-competitive bike to compete against Márquez’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

After the tests at Misano, Honda was able to draw out several positive aspects, but the Japanese brand’s riders were expecting more and better from the tests. Alberto Puig, after Monday’s tests, admitted that Honda is making an effort to find the best possible bike for its number one rider in 2024, Marc Márquez.

‘We have new bikes, not the final version, but a prototype to give us indications in a new and better direction. It has some new and old aspects of the 2023 model. We’ve already had some feedback from the riders, not as positive as we’d hoped, but we still have a lot of development to do on these prototypes and we’ll certainly do that at the tests in Valencia’.

Marc Márquez said that depending on the new feedback on the bike for 2024 he would decide whether to stay with the Japanese manufacturer or go to a new team, probably Gresini. Puig, asked about this, said: “I didn’t hear what he said, right now we want to find a bike that makes him (Márquez) happy, we’re here for him and Joan (Mir)’.

O conteúdo ‘We want to find a bike that makes him happy’ – Alberto Puig on Marc Márquez and testing Honda’s new prototype for 2024 aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

During the first day of MotoGP at Misano, Alberto Puig, the team manager of Repsol Honda, responded to the circulating rumors about Marc Marquez. Puig emphasized that addressing a non-existent issue is not a wise move.

The MotoGP paddock has been buzzing with speculations about Marc Marquez’s future in the championship. Some believe that the eight-time world champion might be considering a change, while others think he could be facing challenges within the team.

However, Alberto Puig, while speaking to the media, dismissed these rumors. He stated, “Discussing a problem that doesn’t exist is not a smart thing to do, Normally you try to solve a problem when you have one. At the moment, as I told you, we do not have this information  .”

Then he ends: “  I fear that we are not performing well and that our bike is not good. But I have no worries because I have not received any information  ” Puig’s statement suggests that the team is in harmony and there’s no internal conflict.

“ He never came to see us, informing us that he would not stay with us  ” notes the Spaniard who recalls the legal situation between the two parties in question: “I can only give you the information I know. As you said, he has a contract for 2024. So I can only tell you that, for us, we will respect the contract that we have . This is what I can tell you because I have not had any communication from the pilot or his manager .”

Marc Marquez, who has been with Repsol Honda since 2013, has faced his share of ups and downs. Despite the challenges, he has consistently showcased his talent and determination on the track.

The Misano circuit has always been a significant venue for Marquez. He has clinched several victories here, making it a special place in his career. As the weekend progresses, fans and experts alike will be keenly watching Marquez’s performance and any developments within the team.

O conteúdo Alberto Puig sends a few messages – ‘ Discussing a problem that doesn’t exist is not a smart thing to do ‘ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.