Without Marc Marquez at Sachsenring for the first time sin🌠ce the eight-time world champion joined Repsol Honda in 2013, last weekend’s German MotoGP w🎃ill be one the team forgets in a hurry. 

While pure performance was an issue for much of the weekend, it’s the condition of their riders ꦰthat proved to be of bigger concern, some of which was self-inflicted. 

Following two cras🧸hes in FP1 (both 🌳at turn 1), Espargaro’s performance continued to deteriorate due to severe pain in his ribs that left him struggling to breathe. 

And in a race where conditions were unpleasantly hot, the Spaniard’s fitness issues became too much for him to cont🎃inue.

"It was a tough weekend already and then today [Sunday] was another hard day," claimed Espargaro. "Theꦐ ribs just need time to recover but putting more stress on them each day doesn’t help. 

"I tried to do what 🙈I could in the race, but the pain got worse and worse and with the heat, I was struggling to breathe. 

"We also had a lot of heat on my right ꩲfoot which added to the pain. I had to retire; theꦍ pain was too extreme. 

"Now I will go home and recover there, the rib injury is similar to what I had 👍in Valencia last year so I know how to deal with them a bit. Three days is not a lot before Assen, but it is what it is."

‘You feel stupid and like a fool’ - Bradl criticises Honda for burns at German MotoGP

As Espargaro mentioned, heat quickly became an issue during t꧙he 30-lap race, however, it was nothing compared to what Bradl suffered, or had to say about Honda for that matter. 

"I don't even know why I finished the race," added B😼radl. "I was more than🦩 21 seconds behind the penultimate rider.

"You feel stupid and like a fool when you'r๊e at your house at the German 𓂃Grand Prix.

"It was terrible. Hond🐲a has not been able to develop a fairing that allows riders to su📖rvive this heat.

"This message has to get to them, it's not acceptable, it can't be like that. I've been through other hot and difficult races, but this ꧋one I don't know how I managed to finish it."

Unable to ඣset lap times faster than that of Moto2 riders, it’s now clear why Bradl was so far off the pace during🌠 the German MotoGP. 

It was an equally disappointing German Grand Prix for🀅 LCR Honda as Alex Marquez retired due to a problem with his ride-height device, while Takaaki Nakagami crashed out on lap 7.