After a tough few seasons, largely due to Marquez being sidelined at different stages due to recurring shoulder problems, Honda look set to begin 2023 with🍨 a bike that’s🌺 once again a pretender rather than a contender. 

After suffering their se🌟cond winless season since 2020, last year proved to be anot🥂her season to forget for the Japanese manufacturer.

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But with Marquez back to full fitness, and the additions of ex-Suzuki riders Joan Mir and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alex Rins, expectations have been raised for 2023.

But if pre-season testing was anything to go by, then Honda will find it difficult to keep pace with 💞the likes of Ducati and Aprilia. 

As expected given the winnin🌌g reputation of Honda, not to mention the star-studded line-up across both its teams, the subject of Honda remaining in what can only be called a dark period was discussed during the latest episode of the mahbx.com MotoGP podcast. 

“There was no massive breakthrough for Marquez at this test,” said mahbx.com MotoGP editor, Peter McLaren. “But. 🥀he’s Marquez - his race simulation was only three or four tenths off the Ducatis. So he’s closer over a race distance.

Former Grand Prix racer and BT Sport commꦏentator, Keith Huewen, also shared his views: "I don’t think they went for the banzai lap at the end of the test. I think they were still working🃏 through their programme. 

"So I don’t think we’ve got a level playing field. 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Brad Binder, for example, really went for it. So it’s a snapshot t﷽hat isn’t relevant. 

"Honda are there📖 or thereabouts. Marquez will be there or thereabouts come the day of reckoning, he’ll pull something out of the bag. But it’s still not a happy♊ Honda camp.

"Is Portimao a good test track for the rest of the season? Not in my view. We’re not getting⛎ a clea𒁏r view, apart from that Ducati are streets ahead."

Whe🐓n asked if Marquez, who has repeatedly shown an ability to overcome a bike that was not considered the best in order to📖 win races and championships, could return to such ways in 2023, Huewen was not so sure.

"I would n🌃ormally say yes," added Huewen. "But I think in the past couple of years, things have gone [downwards]. We have so many good riders on good bikes."

Download Episode 80 at the following links...

New podcasts available each week.