Thailand GP: Honda's Marquez, Espargaro take points in Buriram
Oct 03, 2022
Buriram [Thailand], October 3 : A dramatic day at the Thailand GP yielded more points for the Honda Team as Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro dodged puddles and chased improvements.
What had looked set to be a straightforward race day in Thailand was interrupted by a torrential downpour during the Moto2 race, leaving the Chang International Circuit soaking wet. Subsequent on and off showers saw the premier class race delayed by almost a full hour as race organizers waited for a clear window of weather.
All eyes were on Marc Marquez when the racing did get underway as he shot off the line, disappearing behind a wall of spray as the field charged into Turn 1. Emerging from the wall of water, Marquez found himself firmly inside the top five and settled in for the long 25-lap race. Steady at the start, the eight-time World Champion picked up the pace as the race went on as he used his incredible riding ability and mixed-weather skills to guide his Honda RC213V around the Thai circuit. In the closing laps, Marquez smelled a potential podium and launched his attack on Francesco Bagnaia but was unable to make a move stick.
Ultimately settling for a fighting fifth place, Marquez moves up two positions in the overall MotoGP World Championship to 13th.
On the other side of the Repsol Honda Team garage, Pol Espargaro put together a strong recovery ride from 19th on the grid. Cautious in the early laps as his tyres got up to temperature, Espargaro found his speed towards the end of the race and steadily picked off the competition as the laps went on. Crossing the line in 14th, the #44 adds a further two points to his haul but remains disappointed with his overall Thai GP.
The Moto GP World Championship now enjoy a one-week break before the Australian Grand Prix and the final three races of the year begin.
"I am happy with the race overall; I was again able to do a solid race - avoiding mistakes and staying calm at the start. Wet races are always very long so you need to be careful. Then I was feeling better, and I gained time on the group ahead, but it was impossible to overtake Bagnaia. The acceleration of the Ducati is very strong. We keep on working and trying to improve everything, it has been a good weekend where we were competitive in the wet and the dry. Now we have a week off to recover a bit and keep on training to be strong for the final three races of the year," said Honda rider Marc Marquez.
"It was a long and tricky race in the wet. It's clear the Honda has more potential in it because you can see what Marc is doing. He's maybe riding in a different way but I am still struggling a lot with edge grip. We were able to make up some places in the wet and score some more points, but this is not what I am aiming for and we need to improve for the final races, " said Honda rider Pol Espargaro.
