Marc Marquez has revealed he was questioning if his “time was over” in MotoGP towards the end of his stint at Honda as he grappled with injuries and an uncompetitive bike.
After winning six premier class titles during his first seven seasons in the premier class with Honda, Marquez was forced to accept a new reality when an arm injury sustained in the 2020 Jerez race altered his career.
Requiring a total of four operations over multiple years, Marquez was sidelined from racing for prolonged periods, just as rival Ducati was establishing itself as the new force in MotoGP.
By the time the Spaniard had regained full fitness, Honda’s RC213V had slumped to become the worst bike in MotoGP, leaving victories and podiums largely out of reach.
Marquez was still able to outperform all his Honda stablemates and even scored a third-place finish at Motegi last year, but with the writing on the wall he took the decision to leave the Japanese marque in favour of a satellite deal with Gresini.
The gamble paid off handsomely as he not only regained his race-winning form this year, but also managed to strike a deal with Ducati to join its factory team from 2025.
Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Dorna
Recalling the time he spent at Honda, Marquez admitted that things got so tough for him that he thought his MotoGP career was over.
“Two years ago, one year ago, many people – even me – [had doubts]. I had some question marks if my time was over,” he told MotoGP’s YouTube channel.
“It was not like [in the end] this because I took the decision [to join Gresini] because when I will retire some day I don’t want to have any regrets to myself that you don’t try this, you don’t try this way.
“I will try everything that I have in my hands to feel competitive and to win titles and to fight for titles every year.”
Despite riding last year’s Ducati GP23 bike, albeit with some upgrades, Marquez has clinched three grand prix victories in 2024 and is currently fighting with factory rider Enea Bastianini for third in the championship.
The 31-year-old said he would have been announcing his retirement from MotoGP at this stage had his Gresini move not been successful.
Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“For me already the move that I did last year has been a success because if not, this year I will announce my retirement,” he said. “One year ago I had a lot of question…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Autosport.com – MotoGP – Stories…