It’s a mouth-watering prospect. Eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez and two-time World Champion Alex Marquez alongside each other in the Repsol Honda Team for the 2020 MotoGP™ World Championship. Brothers, teammates, but two very different objectives.
And delving deeper into the dynamics of the all-Marquez factory HRC line-up was Team Manager Alberto Puig, who was the first guest of 2020 on the MotoGP™ Podcast. In this segment of the Podcast, the Spaniard was asked what it was like to work with Marc Marquez. It’s a question that many would want to know the answer to…
“I have to say, I know this can sound like a prepared quote or answer, but it’s not. Marc is a really really simple guy,” began Puig, who became Marc Marquez’ Team Manager at the beginning of 2018. “He’s an anti-hero, he’s not a superstar. He is a real, normal guy, completely normal attitude to the people around him.
“He’s not like a diva, but the only thing is when it comes to racing, he’s an animal. That’s it, it’s as simple as that. It makes life easier for all of us around him; his mechanics, team manager, his manager, his trainer, for Honda… that’s it. On the other hand we know we are working with one of the best riders on the planet, so we have to perform to the maximum.”
A question on some peoples lips when Alex Marquez put pen to paper with Repsol Honda was how would this change Marc Marquez’ focus on his own goals – if at all. Of course, Marc Marquez will be wanting to help his brother succeed as much as possible, but Puig sets the bar straight – the reigning World Champion has his own goals and will be fully focused on retaining the title. For Alex Marquez, it’s about surviving in a “complicated scenario.”
“Well I think this has been… people have been talking a lot about this in the winter, but I will analyse it simply. Marc will continue with his project, with his mentality, which is win win win. Alex will try to survive in a very complicated scenario that he knew when he accepted the job.
“He will try to progress the way he can, learning from his brother, learning on track with other riders, in training and that’s it. We have a life and it’s our own life, that’s it. Even though they are brothers, at the end of the day you have to fight for you. I’m not saying if Marc has to fight for Alex that will not happen, probably yes. But Marc knows his job and that’s to fight with the top riders, and they have a very good level and at this [moment] in time, his brother is not in that group. He can’t focus on other things, he must focus on what he has to do, which is to beat the other top guys. Which isn’t easy because sometimes people believe that it’s easy, but the other guys are very very strong and prepared.”
So this then begs another question. How much will Marc Marquez help Alex Marquez? “They can always talk and explain. You know, ‘this corner you have to go in like this…’ but finally, you have to do it. Nobody can help you. That’s it. He will see all of Marc’s graphics, this is always something in the Honda team that riders can check the other riders’ data, and Alex will see things that we will not understand how the other guy can do it.
“But at least he will have the chance to see how an animal is doing that corner. It will be up to him if he can do it or not but apart from this, there’s not so much you can help another guy with on the motorbike. Motorbike racing is a very individual sport. On Sunday at 2 o’clock, it’s you and your bike.”
You can listen to the full chat with Alberto Puig on 2020’s opening episode of the MotoGP™ Podcast on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast, and you can watch the second instalment of YouTube with MotoGP™ Legend Randy Mamola too!