Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) in the gravel bed – the 2019 world champion in his fourth race crash after his comeback, this time even in front of a home crowd. He long ago lost the aura of invincibility.

No. 93 on July 25, 2020 “I will come back stronger than ever!”

His fans saw this announcement as a promise after he had given up the second race due to his arm injury in the previous year. In return, this statement by the 6-time MotoGP World Champion was of course also addressed to his opponents, who had to understand this as a threat after his dominance in the 2019 season. After all, in the first race of the first Corona year, the then reigning world champion was the fastest man on the track until his fatal crash. After a very long break in Portugal, he kept the first part of his promise, but only to a tiny extent and by no means in full. He came back on April 16, 2021, but with excuses from the start.

Marc Marquez on all fours in front of his Repsol Honda in the gravel bed of the Circuito de Jerez – the violent fall in FP3 happened in a left turn, which is what he said was the stronger side. Another crash followed on Saturday and even two in the Le Mans race.

What became of the threats from Marc Marquez in 2021

All of his opponents emphasized in unison that they would be happy about his comeback as soon as they were asked about it. No wonder, because many of them still had one or the other bill from the past with the Catalan, who is really valued by only a few of his opponents. At his best, Marc was considered the most ruthless of them all, sometimes plowing through the field from behind without taking any prisoners. Then after more than 9 months he finally came back, and now they got their chance, and it was used to the full. And how did the formerly most feared champion react? He was always looking for new excuses. If it was first the arm that was supposedly not supposed to make it through the race, then suddenly the shoulder was added. Already in Portimão in the first race after his return, he proved how good his physique is in reality. A handicap was by no means recognizable even for his brother Alex, who drove behind him for a long time in the second half of the race, according to his statement.

Marc Marquez next to his Repsol Honda in the gravel bed of the Circuito de Cataluña, which was converted in last winter’s turn 10 – from the king of saves to the king of gravel beds and excuses within a year.

All other excuses are pointless

Ever since the HRC test driver invented the fairy tale of the supposedly noncompetitive Honda RC213V in 2020, it has become a constant topic. Many gratefully took up this nonsense again and again as soon as the results were bad. But that made Marquez the fastest man on the track at the season opener. His brother Alex only narrowly missed a win twice in a row, and Takaaki Nakagami was one of the most consistent and strongest drivers of all in the customer team for a long time last year. It was also the fast Japanese who missed the first podium this season in Jerez de la Frontera by a hair’s breadth. Therefore, one can only advise Marc not to take up this old wives’ tale himself. Otherwise, he would have to please explain why he was ahead of number 5 for two laps at the GP of Catalonia (it was rounds 4 and 5 to be precise) with this supposedly bad bike. With Johann Zarco it was the man who had missed the first MotoGP victory in the end by a tiny 0.175 seconds!

Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati Racing) ahead of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) and thus the current World Cup runner-up ahead of the leader – the two Frenchmen are more afraid of the senseless track limits and questionable decisions of the FIM stewards than of Marc Marrquez.
The situation in the world championship after round 7 in Montmeló with Marc Marquez in position 18 and a subterranean low point average (see right column). With only 16 points from 5 races, none of his opponents need to fear him anymore.

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