Marc Marquez shock at Alex Rins’ exit: “He said Honda have a good bike!”

LCR rider Rins will swap his satellite seat for a factory ride in 2024 when he joins Yamaha as a replacement for Franco Morbidelli.

It will bring to an end Rins’ short but eventful stay at Honda which peaked with winning the Grand Prix of the Americas but has also included a broken leg which is sidelining him from this weekend’s British MotoGP.

Repsol Honda rider Marquez was asked about Rins’ departure and answered: “I had an interview, they asked me about this rumour. 

“I said ‘I don’t think so’ because Rins won a race and he said ‘it’s a good bike’. 

“So I didn’t expect this move. But then the day after! 

“I’m happy for him, it’s a good move, he’s moving from a satellite team to a factory team. Yamaha has power and energy from the past.”

Rins was absent from the British MotoGP as he continued to rehab his broken leg.

Honda endured another miserable weekend without him.

His replacement Iker Lekuona and fellow LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami were in the last two positions, of those who finished.

Marquez and Repsol Honda teammate Joan Mir retired early.

Johann Zarco, meanwhile, has emerged as the key contender to replace Rins at LCR Honda next season.

He welcomed the idea claiming it would be “an honour”.