The 2022 MotoGP Round 2 Indonesian GP was a tough race for Honda. In the qualifying, all four Honda players might not advance to qualifying Q2, and they were sluggish in the lower ranks. And in the final race, which was in wet condition, Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) was 12th and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda CASTROL) was 13th. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU) is in 19th place. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who was in 15th place at the top of the Honda team in qualifying, fell during the morning warm-up and was absent due to a doctor stop.
Following the qualifying, Honda will be forced to struggle
This year, Hondas struggled with the feeling of the rear tires. The reason is that the tires used in the test in February and the Michelin tires introduced this year are different, and it is a big struggle for Honda who has been developing machines according to the tires Michelin plans to introduce this season. It became a tournament.
The tires introduced by Michelin this year are the rear tires with better heat resistance used in the 2018 Thailand GP, and Marc Marquez won the tournament. However, it did not fit well with the 2022 RC213V, and Honda had a hard time. The final was in wet condition, but the grid was in the rear, which forced a tough fight and prevented him from performing as he should.
In that difficult situation, Espargaro, who was 16th in qualifying (15th grid due to Marc Marquez’s absence), showed a tenacious and strong run in the heavy spray and finished in 12th place. Espargaro hopes that Michelin’s 2022 rear slick tires will be used at the Argentine Grand Prix two weeks later to give it the original run it showed in the winter test.
Alex Marquez, who was 19th in qualifying (18th grid due to Marc Marquez’s absence), dropped a little in the early stages under the harsh conditions of poor visibility due to splashing water, but then chased Espargaro and finished in 13th place. ..
Teammate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU) challenged the race to catch up from 24th place (starting from the 23rd grid) in qualifying, but due to poor visibility due to splashing water and something that did not arrive at the helmet visor, the visibility was further improved. It was a tough race that got worse and ended in 19th place.
It rained heavily before the start of this tournament, and the start progressed following waiting for the rain to rise, which was delayed by regarding an hour. However, due to the large amount of water on the course, the athletes who started from the rear grid struggled with severe splashes and poor visibility. This tournament was originally a 27-lap race, but before the Moto2 class started, it was shortened to 20 laps to cope with the high road surface temperature.
The next round of the Argentine Grand Prix will be held for the first time in three years. The tournament has been canceled due to the corona wreck for the past two years, but the Honda team, which has been sluggish this time, is burning up their fighting spirit in the snow humiliation at the Argentine Grand Prix following a long absence.
Marc Marquez, who suffered two falls in the qualifying session the day before and fell violently once more during the warm-up on the morning of the final day, was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Mataram, Lombok for inspection. As a result, he was diagnosed with poor physical condition due to concussion and was absent due to a doctor stop. Marc Marquez will undergo further inspections following returning to Spain.
Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team)
“It was a survival race. Rather, it was all survival during the race week. The tests were very good, but things have changed. At the start of the race, dirt on the road surface was sprayed and regarding the visor. It got very dirty. When I was behind Pekko (Francesco Bagnaia), I might run to see his red light, but following passing him and being alone, it was very difficult. I hit the curb badly, but I was able to survive the fall. I was 6th in the championship. Only 10 points behind the top. It’s very good. Focus on the championship and put on normal tires. I have to prepare for the next weekend’s race to use. I would like to apologize to the team for this result, because I think I might have achieved better results with this machine. “
Alex Marquez (LCR Honda CASTROL)
“I’ve never run wet on this machine. Rather than wet, I felt good when I ran on FP3, which was in mixed conditions, but the road surface was pretty dry at that time. Today I’m full wet. The situation has changed. The problem I had in the dry was also wet and I was a little frustrated. It was difficult to overtake other riders. I had a better pace than the previous riders. I mightn’t overtake them, but I can’t help it. I want to continue to move forward, improve the situation in the next race, and become more competitive. “
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU)
“The heavy rain before the start delayed the race. The road conditions changed from dry to wet and it was a very tough race. The grip level was good, but there was a problem with the helmet visor. The visibility was poor during the race and it was a very difficult run. I mightn’t keep the line as I wanted and might hardly do anything. Of course I didn’t want such a result. Very disappointing race It’s been a week, but I want to change my mind for the Argentine Grand Prix. I like Argentina so I want to get good results. “
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)
“I have no words. This week wasn’t our weekend. I had a hard time. I had a problem from the beginning. The warm-up fall in the morning was very intense. The biggest fall I’ve ever had. I went to a local hospital and found that there was no serious problem. I didn’t participate because of a doctor stop this time. Of course, I’m sorry, but I think it’s the best decision. increase”
Category: Category: F1 / MotoGP
