Marquez points finger at Honda for huge crash: “Only we have these problems”

Marc Marquez has turned the spotlight on Honda to explain his ‘strange’ crash during second free practice for the Dutch TT at Assen, saying only he and his team-mates appear to suffer these particular issues.

The Spaniard miraculously walked away from the massive shunt, caused when the rear of the RC213V stepped out before biting with grip and flicking him the other way into a high-side that led to a heavy impact with the Tarmac.

Remarkably, given he has recently only returned to action after ten months out with arm and shoulder injuries, Marquez was able to walk away from the smash and returned to the track this morning for FP3.

Crucially though Marquez doesn’t believe the issues stemmed from him and instead suggested a mechanical issue is to blame.

“It is true it was a strange crash because I didn’t feel over the limit,” he said. “I was riding like the morning to find my way and the way we are riding the electronics stop you but for some reason it was not there. 

“I shifted a gear, the rear started to slide and then I had the high-side. We must understand why because only Honda riders have those problems, which means we must improve in that area because it is impossible to take the confidence and push again."

Moreover, he says it could be an endemic issue with Honda entries in particular, pointing out his own incident at Jerez last year and those suffered by his team-mates as examples for the accidents stemming from a design fault.

“It doesn’t help [for confidence] because if you brake late or you lean too much then you can understand but if you are riding in a good way and suddenly you start to slide, I lose a lot of confidence.

“We must understand why I had my crash in Jerez 2020, here, Pol high-sided in Portimao, my brother too… it is something we need to understand because like this it is impossible to ride on the limit.”