The arrival of Marc Marquez at the Repsol Honda Team in 2013 marked an era for the japanese manufacturer, which after the departure of Dani Pedrosa has had problems in keeping another rider in the team for longer than the duration of a contract.
Stefan Bradl, Honda test rider, recalled the importance of giving time so that those who arrive at the team can first adapt and then prove their worth, quoted on SPEEDWEEK.com, when speaking of the second Honda rider:
- It's the same in Formula 1. In Red Bull you have the number 1 rider, like Max Verstappen, while 'Checo' Perez is behind him. This is what happens at Repsol Honda. The second rider must show his value and if the results aren't what is required, which is like saying he is constantly on the podium, then the pressure increases. This is because given Honda's successful past, the japanese look directly at the results. Marc Marquez's teammates may not have the time or patience. Sometimes we have to give the rides some time.
Since joining the official Honda team, Marc Marquez has been HRC's main face, with (many) race wins and titles, and only Dani Pedrosa has performed competitively on the RC213V. Since his departure at the end of 2018, neither Jorge Lorenzo nor Alex Marquez nor Pol Espargaro have managed to show a truly competitive dimension. In Lorenzo's case the contract was even terminated after just one year - also with the rider to go through many injuries.
Next up on Marquez's list of 'number two' on the Honda is Joan Mir, twice world champion, in the Moto3 and MotoGP classes.