Alberto Puig says claims that Honda bikes are the hardest to ride is just a theory and is “not a fact”, highlighting HRC’s MotoGP statistics as proof of this.
Marc Marquez romped to a sixth premier class crown in 2019 with 12 wins and a record 420 points, while almost single-handedly guiding Honda to the manufacturer and teams’ crowns.
However, only Marquez won on the RC213V, which was constantly criticised by its riders as being more difficult than its predecessor, LCR’s Cal Crutchlow only achieving three podiums and Jorge Lorenzo failing to reach the top 10 in any race.
Earlier in the year Honda boss Puig refuted comments made by Ducati management which intimated that HRC had built a bike only for Marquez – with Ducati boss Paolo Ciabatti later claiming Puig was twisting his words to create controversy.
When asked by Autosport at the season-ending Valencia race if Honda had any plans to change the perception that only Marquez can ride its bikes, Puig said: “First of all, I think this is not a fact, this is just an idea.
“The fact is, I think in the last 18 years Honda has won the title 10 times with four different riders (Valentino Rossi in ’02, ’03; Nicky Hayden ’06; Casey Stoner ’11; Marquez ’13-’14, ’16-’19).
“Yamaha [did so] with two (Rossi in ’04-’05, ’08-’09; Lorenzo ’10, ’12, ’15) and Ducati with one (Stoner in ’07).
“So, with the facts, we can say the easiest bike to ride is the Honda, because it has won the championship with many riders.
“I don’t know what the other teams are saying, but we don’t [worry] so much about this.
“The top performance of a team is not only [about] the bike of the rider – it’s completely the whole structure.
“So, every one of the teams has their own way and they have to try to do their best.”
He added: “If we have these [championship-winning] riders, we have these riders and the other teams can try to get them.
“I don’t think this is a crucial point of view.
“I only check the story of the championship and Honda has won a lot of championships with different riders.
“I can mention Rossi, Hayden, Marc, Casey. So, I think [the Honda being the toughest bike on the grid] is just an idea, but it’s not a fact.”