WHY HE CAN’T…
His opposition is getting closer
For the past two years, Marquez’s main opposition has come from the ever-improving Andrea Dovizioso and his now benchmark Ducati. And that progression hasn’t halted for 2019, with the Desmosedici already finishing last season the best bike on the grid and making what looks to be solid gains over winter. Ducati have worked hard to address the turning problem that’s hampered them on fast circuits like Phillip Island and it looks like that issue might be behind them at last, which is a worrying sign for Marquez. But Ducati isn’t the only threat this year, with Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi now on a Yamaha that they think is back to race-winning pace and with Alex Rins a genuine dark horse on the Suzuki GSX-RR; a machine that has looked almost unstoppable during pre-season testing thanks to its stunning race pace.
He’s starting the season injured
It’s hard to gauge just yet how fit Marc Marquez will be when he lines up on the grid in Qatar for the opening race, but one thing is for sure: he’s not at the level he wanted to be. Undergoing surgery in early December to repair a constantly dislocating shoulder, the operation didn’t go as smoothly as he’d have liked, forcing him to the sidelines for eight weeks and meaning he wasn’t able to start the preseason tests at anywhere near full fitness. And while he’s made big improvements since then, he’s still not 100%. Struggling with swelling and pain in the joint during the long, hard days of testing, he admits that he’s still not quite sure how it’ll respond to race conditions. That gives his opponents time to strike with potential for them to take advantage early in the year.
The Honda isn’t as strong as it once was
Something that has shocked the Honda riders on this year’s grid, is that the 2019 RC213V has not made the improvements they were hoping for. The bike has a new frame for the first time in three years but Honda have only decided on the engine specification in the days leading up to the first race. The delay was a result of all three factory riders not being at full fitness. While the 2019 RCV is faster in a straight line, the trade-off seems to have come in corner entry, traditionally their strongest point. It’s now a much more nervous bike, something which could upset Marquez who has spent the last six years perfecting his riding style to suit the machine’s strengths. The last time he started a season at a disadvantage was in 2015 when he got beaten to the title by Lorenzo.