Agostini: “It’s not easy to leave Honda, Marquez must be patient”

Giacomo Agostini believes six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez should stay at Repsol Honda as “they are almost there”.

18 May 2023

Two of the best riders in MotoGP, Marquez finds himself in a similar position to that of Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo, which is being aboard a bike that’s arguably holding him back.

Marquez has still managed to produce stunning performances so far this season after qualifying on pole at Portimao and second in Le Mans, before going on to fight for the podium in both rounds.

But still, Marquez’s genius has failed to cover up the issues Honda are facing, as is also the case with Alex Rins’ brilliant win at COTA.

Ducati, Aprilia and KTM remain much more consistent bikes to be on, both in terms of out-right performance but also the ‘working window’ which is something that’s been a problem for Honda riders.

Marquez and Joan Mir have suffered a significant amount of crashes already through five rounds - that’s including Marquez missing three races due to injury, while Rins has also hit the deck a few times.

But Agostini, who is a former 15-time world champion, does not see Honda being that far away and believes Marquez should stay with the Japanese manufacturer beyond next season.

"Honda is the biggest manufacturer in the world," Agostini told Marca.com. "It's not easy to leave Honda, it's not easy. At this moment, Honda is suffering, as is Yamaha, but the world is round. The time may come...

"Not everyone can race with a Ducati. There is the Aprilia or the KTM, which are also very strong. They are difficult decisions. It is difficult to make the decision to change.

"Also because, for example, Ducati already has many riders. And riders who win. They don't need him. It's true that they would like to have him, but they already have people who win and it's not right to change those who already win.

"I am convinced that both Honda and Yamaha will become close. Actually, they will become equal, because they are already close.

"They are almost there, they will arrive. Marc must be patient. He will suffer a bit, but after the storm the sun rises. We'll see…"