Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP enemy Marc Marquez 'will ride over the limit and crash’

Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP enemy Marc Marquez 'will ride over the limit and crash’,EXCLUSIVE: Marc Marquez has always been willing to do whatever is possible to secure a victory, but this determination could prove to be a problem if he is not aided by the bike he is riding

Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP enemy Marc Marquez ‘will ride over the limit and crash’

Former World Superbike champion Neil Hodgson has warned Honda that Marc Marquez could “ride over the limit and crash” if their bike is not improved.

Valentino Rossi’s former arch-rival returns for a new-look MotoGP campaign at the Grande Premio De Portugal. Marquez’s relentless, brave, and at times, reckless driving style saw him repeatedly find himself in the bad books of the legendary Italian. However, it has also seen him suffer numerous injuries over the years which have required four major operations on his right arm. The six-time MotoGP winner is believed to be back to full fitness, having only taken part in 14 races in 2021 and six in 2022.

However, the memories of his horrific crash during a warm-up session at the Indonesian GP and the fact his frustrating 2022 campaign concluded with a crash at the Valencian GP in October, continue to linger. And Hodgson believes Marquez could become overly daring and risky, if he feels he has to compensate for any frailties and weaknesses in his bike.

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“I think he’s ready after his crash, all of the different surgeries on his arm, three different surgeries, and everything he has gone through, it appears he is finally back to some sort of full fitness,” Hodgson said, exclusively to Daily Star Sport on behalf of BT Sports, when asked if Marquez can challenge for the title. “He has two problems. The bike still doesn’t look competitive. It looks hard to ride.

“If you look at the new riders who are riding the Honda, you have Joan Mir and Alex Rins. Rins won the last race in Valencia and now he is on the Honda, he cannot get into the top 17. He is off the pace, not by much, but he is off the pace. The first problem for Marc is that the bike is not competitive.

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Marquez has had some spectacular crashes in the past (Image: @marcmarquez93/Twitter)

“He can make the difference, but he can’t make the difference at every track. Eventually, he will ride over the limit and when you ride over the limit, that’s a crash.” As well as the operations on his arm, Marquez has also been battling with diplopia, a condition which causes people to suffer from double vision.

Marquez has always been an imposing and fearless racer, but even he has admitted his battle with the condition, that is caused by damage to the nerves and muscles that control movement of the eyes, has left him “scared”. “I still think, not his arm, but his diplopia, his double vision,” Hodgson added.

Marquez had a long running rivalry with MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi

“He’s had it twice in his career. What it essentially is, is nerve damage at the back of his eye. If he has a big impact again on his head, it’s something that can just reappear. There’s nothing you can do about it, it comes and goes.

“Unfortunately, he has that hanging over him. If he smashes his head again, which, if you watch Marc’s career he will, because he does whatever it takes. The man is fearless, I’ve never known any motorcycle race like him.

It's unlikely Marquez will change his racing style anytime soon (Image: Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“He is the bravest, I’ve ever seen, by a million miles, his desire to win is that great. He will bang his head again and then you’re flipping a coin. Does the diplopia come back again?” The risk has been cranked up even more with the introduction of the ‘sprint races’.

MotoGP has introduced the race format, that will take place on the Saturday before every Grand Prix Event, as a means of adding an extra spectacle to the sport. The winner of the sprint race will be awarded 12 points and the next best racers will be awarded nine, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one point.

If Honda are able to overcome the issues they have had with their bike, Hodgson thinks Marquez will have a great chance of taking points. “The sprint race is designed for Marquez,” Hodgson laughed. “Elbows out, aggression, full attack. A fit Marc Marquez on a good bike would be unstoppable.”

BT Sport will show all the live action from every race weekend during the 2023 MotoGP season, starting with the Portugal Grand Prix from March 24-26 on BT Sport 2. Fans can also watch Sheene, the latest film in the BT Sport Films series, which premieres on March 26 on BT Sport 2 from 10pm.