Honda boss makes “obvious” Marc Marquez claim about 2020 MotoGP season
Marc Marquez badly injured his arm in 2020, but Honda is convinced he would have won the title
Honda MotoGP team boss Alberto Puig says “it’s obvious” Marc Marquez would have won the 2020 world title had it not been for his serious arm injury.
The COVID-delayed 2020 season didn’t get underway until July at Jerez, owing to the worldwide shutdown caused by the pandemic.
When MotoGP began at the Spanish Grand Prix, the season was turned on its head after Marc Marquez suffered a massive crash towards the end of the race and badly broke his right humerus.
Marquez had been leading in the early stages when he ran off track at Jerez’s Turn 4, but worked his way back into the podium places when he crashed with four laps to go.
He underwent surgery on his arm immediately, before attempting an ultimately aborted comeback just a few days later at the Andalusian Grand Prix.
This led to damage in the plate inserted to stabilise the injury, which forced Marquez to undergo a second operation. A third was required due to an infection from the previous surgery, with Marquez missing the entire 2020 campaign.
No doubts from Honda boss Marquez would have won 2020 title
In a new documentary about Marquez from DAZN, Honda boss Alberto Puig says Marquez was certain to win his seventh world title in 2020 without the injury.
“He would’ve won the championship,” he stated.
“He was much stronger than the others. It was obvious.”
Marquez returned to racing in 2021, winning three grands prix, but the surgeries had taken a toll on his arm, with the humerus over 30 degrees out of rotation.
As he struggled with this in 2022, he elected to have a fourth major operation to correct this.
This operation was a success, though uncompetitive Honda machinery in 2023 left Marquez questioning his future, prompting a shock move to the Gresini Ducati squad for 2024.
This led to him winning races again and earning a factory Ducati promotion for 2025, with Marquez dominating this year to win his seventh MotoGP title.
“His arm was barely holding up; he was very brave in making that decision,” Puig said of Marquez’s 2022 operation.
“In this sport, if you’re not well, physically and technically, you don’t have support. On Sunday, you’re not up in front.”
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