HRC president: No “fear” that Marc Marquez will leave us

Honda’s star rider is contracted until the end of 2024 on the most lucrative contract on the current MotoGP grid but speculation about his future continues, particularly while he is stuck on a non-competitive bike.

Last week at Mugello he threw up his hands in anger at his bike after crashing again.

“We still feel that Marc is part of the Honda family,” Koji Watanabe told Marca. 

“Of course, Honda respects the opinion of its riders. 

“We do not feel any fear, but we will respect his decision.”

Watanabe confirmed Honda’s hope to keep Marquez until he retires: “Yes, of course, yes.”

But an extended contract is not yet on the table: “There is no rush.”

Watanabe confirmed that Marquez would not sign a new contract until 2024.

“Yes, but we are always talking to each other,” he said.

“Good communication is important in the Honda family.”

Watanabe played a key role in the Honda engines used by Red Bull’s F1 team, whose driver Max Verstappen is set to win three championships in a row.

Marquez told The Guardian about Honda: “Look what they do in Formula One where they [supply] the best engine for Red Bull. So I believe in them.”

The difficulty with Marquez’s future is that he will be 32 by the time he could join a new team, and would demand hefty compensation.

His hopes of becoming a seven-time champion remain due to his brilliance but the toll of injuries is also racking up.

KTM dropped a hint that they would be open to discussing his post-2024 future, while Ducati have repeatedly ruled themselves out.

Heading into the German MotoGP at Sachsenring, where Marquez has won eight times, Honda know their priority is to improve their current machine.

Watanabe was asked when they can catch Ducati, and replied: “It's pretty hard to say, time-wise. 

“But, now we have almost found what the problem is.

“Yes, yes. The next step is how we can fix the problem, but we need some time to fix it properly. 

“Hopefully by the end of this season, we'll have a chance to catch them. 

“But, of course, it's not that easy.”

Honda riders Joan Mir and Alex Rins will both be absent in Germany after picking up injuries due to crashes last weekend.

“We need to improve the bike itself, for everyone,” Watanabe said.