It was scarcely believable to those in the know. Scrolling down through the Tissot Sprint timesheets at the German GP. Jorge Martin P1… World Champion Francesco Bagnaia P2… Jack Miller P3…. Marc Marquez…. P11!?
It made for more than unusual reading that the Repsol Honda star placed so low at a circuit he has ruled at for over a decade. Not since 2009, when he was in his sophomore year in the 125cc class, had he been defeated at the Sachsenring. After that point, it was 11 straight wins, including seven in the premier class. However, 2023, unfortunately, saw that streak end as he placed outside the points on Saturday in Germany, compounding what had already been a difficult weekend.
On Friday, things had actually gotten off to a pretty decent start as the #93 put in the second fastest time of the morning Practice 1 session, and sat just 0.152s behind Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing). In typical Marquez fashion, he didn’t hold back either when riding the RC213V, as he found the limit early on.
After a strong start, the wheels on the weekend began to loosen, with another big moment at T11 seeing the eight-time World Champion become visibly frustrated, and he let his feelings very much known.
Having already had a couple of scares, it was third time unlucky on Friday afternoon, as Marquez lost the front of his machine coming into Turn 1, and his bike careered into Johann Zarco’s, snapping the Frenchman’s Ducati in two as he exited pitlane. It proved a hugely controversial moment, with Marquez saying: "I'm angry because if somebody can avoid the situation it was Johann."
Zarco bit back by saying it was “unacceptable” to pin the blame on him. As a result of that incident, Marquez failed to set a time competitive enough to get into the top 10 times of the day, so a trip to Q1 awaited.
All eyes were on the Spaniard as he rolled out of pitlane on Saturday morning, and he produced a typically box office performance. In a wet qualifying, he managed to post the benchmark lap early on before coming back into pitlane. Pushing to improve that time, he crashed on the last corner, and before his bike had even settled in the gravel trap, he was sprinting back to his box to get his second machine to go back out. Back on track and with the clock on zero, he rode the RC213V on the ragged edge to snatch a last gasp Q2 place.
As the battle for pole commenced, Marquez went straight out, but it wasn’t long before he once more fell victim to T13, highsiding around the left hander. Again, he made his way back to pitlane, this time with a limp, but it was mind over matter as he was determined to compete in Germany.
With under five minutes to go, he was back out. His best effort saw him go provisional P5, but as Pecco Bagnaia took pole, Marquez was back in the gravel trap and seventh in the standings. Having already experienced four crashes over the weekend, it played on his mind during the Tissot Sprint. Having risen to P5 by the end of the first lap, a steady decline happened as he dropped down the pack, culminating in an 11th place finish. Post-race, he confirmed that he chose to roll off the throttle and not push.
"It’s not my mentality, I’m a fighter, but you can’t fight against a wall. You need to open your eyes." claimed Marquez in his Sprint debrief before adding: "The problem is there is too much risk"
Sunday offered a fresh start for the Honda star, but hopes of making it 12 wins in 12 were quickly dashed. His fifth crash of the weekend, a joint personal record, during Warm Up was the final straw. Marquez withdrew from the event, admitting he "doesn’t feel ready to race."
The repercussions of his Sachsenring nightmare extended to the Motul TT Assen a week later, where he also withdrew after aggravating a rib injury. The Honda rider has suffered an injury-ridden number of campaigns, but he could always perform in Germany. Cast your mind back to 2021, where he took a first victory in 581 days despite recording three consecutive DNFs prior. He missed the 2022 event, but expectations were high he could rekindle his love affair with the anti-clockwise track this year, but instead he was deserted by lady luck.
Eight events in, we have seen Marc Marquez take a Sprint podium and a pole position, but we are yet to see him take the chequered flag on a Sunday as injuries and crashes have once again played their part. Now, it seems Marquez and Honda are at a critical juncture in their long-standing relationship, with ambition outweighing performance.
The weekend at the Sachsenring may have strained Marquez’ relationship with the RC213V, but there is ample time left in the current season for the Japanese brand to find a solution to the crux of their issues, which could ensure the future of the #93 within their ranks, amid the promise of tasting more success together. The first step to restoring former glories begins in earnest on August 6th.
MotoGP™ heads for Silverstone, where the Spaniard tasted victory in 2014, with a couple of podiums to his name too. It will be a big challenge, but it is the perfect opportunity for both Marquez and Honda to build towards a brighter second half of the season.