Without Marc Marquez at Sachsenring for the first time since the eight-time world champion joined Repsol Honda in 🎐2013, last weekend’s German MotoGP will be one the team forgets in a hurry. 

While pure performance was an issue for much of the weekend, it’s the condition of thඣeir riders that proved to be of bigger concern, some of which was se🎐lf-inflicted. 

Following two crashes in FP1 (both at turn 1), Espargaro’s performance conti🔯nued to deteriorate due to severe pain in his ribs that left him struggling to breathe. 

And in a race where cond🐟itions were unpleasantly hot, the Spaniard’s fitness issues be🦋came too much for him to continue.

"It was a tough weekend already and then today [Sunday] was another hard day," claimed Espargaro. "The ribs just neܫed time to recover but putting more stress on🎀 them each day doesn’t help. 

"꧙I tried to do what I could in the race, but the pain ඣgot worse and worse and with the heat, I was struggling to breathe. 

"We also had a lot oℱf heat on my right foot which added to the pain. I had to retire; the pain was too extreme. 

"Now I will go home and recover there, the rib injury is similar to what I hꦅad in Valencia last year so I know how to deal with them a bit. Three days is not a lot bef🥃ore Assen, but it is what it is."

‘You feel stupid and like a fool’ - Bradl criticises Honda for burns at German MotoGP

As Espargaro mentioned, heat quickly ℱbecame an issue during the𝄹 30-lap race, however, it was nothing compared to what Bradl suffered, or had to say about Honda for that matter. 

"I don't even know why I finished the race," added Bradl. "I was more than 21 seconds behindꦡ the penultimate rider.

"You feel🅠 stupid and like a fool when you're at your house at the Ger🌞man Grand Prix.

"It was terrible.♎ Honda has not been able to develop a fairing that allows riders to survive this heat.

"🦂This message has to get to them, it's not acceptable, it can't be like that. I've been through other hot and difficult races, but this one I don't know how I managed to finish it."

Unable to set lap times faster ꦜthan that of Moto2 riders, it’s now clear why Bradl was so far off the pace during the German MꦿotoGP. 

It was an equally disappointing German Grandꦯ Prix for LCR Honda as Alex Marquez retired due to a problem with his ride-height device, while Takaaki Nakagami crashed out on lap 7.