Casey Stoner launches passionate defence of Honda: “Bikes aren’t quite as bad…”
Honda are perhaps at their lo⭕west ebb in the wake of seeing Marc Marquez, their esteemed rider, walk away due to their below-par competitiveness to join Gresini Ducati in 2024.
But Stoner, speaking at his home Australian MotoGP 11 years after retiring, defended the team where he ended his career and 🌳won one championship.
“Honda have been struggling for a couple๊ of years,” he sa𒁃id.
“It’s easy to sit on the outside and say ‘the tea🌳m haven’t been doing a good job’.
“But it’s not actually the team. It goes way further above thanᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ that. We’re not sure how much efꦅfort they’re putting into the racing.
“I know there were a few posi🐷tion changes in Japan and it🍬 seems to be affecting the team.
“The two Japanese manufacturers seem to be a step or two behind. The European manufacturers got on top of everything a bit🙈 quicker, they’re ahead of the game.
“It’s puzzling 💞that the Japanese manufacturers are equally behind ﷺthe Europeans.
“Marc is going꧟ to give himself a shot to understand wheth🔯er it’s him or the bike.”
Asked if Marquez could win the 2024 championship on a Ducati, Stoner replied: “I still think he can probably win the championship on a Honda, as long as he gets thi🅠ngs right.
“We saw Alex Rins win in Austi♐n, he dominated that raceꦕ. A bike doesn’t go from winning to being massively uncompetitive.
“I’m ꦇof the opinion that these bikes aren’t quite as bad…
“If they can win a race earlier in the season - ꦇhe almost destroyed everyone - then it s꧒houldn’t be outside of the top 10 in the rest of the rounds.
“Unfortunately in racing, sometimes you get lost and it needs someone to show what it’s capable of. We’ve al𝓀so seen that with the KTMs, Da𝔍ni Pedrosa hops on it in Jerez and everyone lifts, then he does it again in Misano.
“Sometimes you need a guiding star to show what it’s capable of, then it gives everyone else the confidence t♔o do mor♛e.
“It’s easy to sit there and think the gras🐭s is greener. To look at what else is doing. Ducati have beaten most bikes an🍸d are doing a good job.
“It’s easy to lose hear♒t and motivation and confidence. Those things comb♌ined drop you down hill.”
Honda are still searchin🐷g for a replacement for Marquez as they plot their own path without the eight-time world champion.
James was a sports journali༺st at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from Ame༺rican sports, to football, to F1.
