Marquez has left the Honda workforce with which he spent his whole MotoGP profession to journey a Ducati for the Gresini squad this season.
The eight-time world champion moved to the Italian workforce with out his crew chief Santi Hernandez, who moved as much as MotoGP with Marquez when the Spaniard jumped up from Moto2.
Regardless of the super bond between Marquez and Hernandez, and the success they loved – six MotoGP titles and one in Moto2 – the rider was unable to take the engineer with him to Gresini, as Ducati requested Marquez to commit for 2 years when he solely wished to take action for one (2024).
With Marquez’s exit, all the pieces appeared set for Hernandez and his crew to supervise the arrival of Luca Marini, Marquez’s substitute at Honda.
The Italian explicitly requested to work on Hernandez’s facet of the storage, a circumstance which might have meant that Mir would have remained together with his earlier crew chief Giacomo Guidotti and his workforce.
Nonetheless, Mir requested on the weekend of the ultimate race of final season in Valencia that Honda ought to give him the workforce that had all the time been linked to Marquez.
The truth that his contract expires on the finish of 2024 prompted his choice to push for the crew change.
Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Staff
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
“That is one thing that Joan requested for, and that was executed,” mentioned Honda workforce supervisor Alberto Puig in a dialog with Motorsport.com throughout final week’s Sepang check.
“We thought it made sense as a result of Santi is Spanish and Giacomo is Italian. We expect that riders can all the time get nearer to a chief mechanic who speaks the identical language as them.
“Both facet is made up {of professional} individuals who know the bike. It is extra a query of private affinity.”
Mir’s reply about his first experiences following the workers swap was unequivocal.
“The scenario has modified so much,” Mir mentioned. “Santi has a manner of working that matches very properly with me. He’s very properly supported by the titles he has gained, and he would not solely assist me technically.
“The truth that he has gained so many world championships shouldn’t be by probability. I like his technique so much.”
Final 12 months, in his first season with Honda, the 2020 world champion didn’t carry out to the extent anticipated of him – he completed twenty second within the standings, together with his greatest outcome being fifth in India.
