MotoGP, Puig: “Marc Marquez is returning to his true potential”

The Austrian GP saw Marc Marquez fighting back at the front for the best part of the race, which took place on a dry track, and no one can know how it might have ended if the rain had held off for a little longer. Repsol Honda team manager Alberto Puig analyses the positives and negatives of the latest race weekend.

Marquez’s growth

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Interviewed for official website motogp.come, the Spaniard begins by saying: “The final result wasn’t good of course. But if we look at Marc’s race, we can see that even though he still had some disadvantages, he was able to stick with the best in the dry. This means he’s returning to his true potential”. Fifteenth, a result he scored after crashing in the wet, is not a result to write home about, but the weekend did bring its positives.

Puig continues: “The positive aspect is that Marc was able to fight with the best riders throughout the race. The negative has to do with his crash at the end of the race. The rear tyre choice was good, different to normal, but Marc and the team knew what they needed”. And this is already akin to a win for the team.

Pol Espargaró’s difficulties

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Pol Espargaró, sixteenth across the line, continues to struggle. Puig explains: “There is a lack of understanding between Pol Espargaró and his bike. He’s far from his potential and is not exploiting the bike’s potential. He’s struggling and we need to work with him to overcome this situation”. It’s definitely an uphill climb and the worrying thing is that eleven races have already taken place.

Translated by Heather Watson

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