Few doubted Marc Marquez’s speed and talent ahead of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship, as many viewed him as the favorite for the crown having already taken two consecutive titles. But five crashes, multiple injuries and a difficult to handle 2015 Honda frame have resulted in his toughest season to date.
A mistake in Turn 1 at the opening round in Qatar saw him drop to the back of field, able to fight through to fifth at the end of a difficult race. This was followed by a strong win in Austin, continuing his unbeaten streak at the American circuit.
The GP Red Bull de la República Argentina started well for Marquez, securing pole position by half a second, but would end in disaster as he and Valentino Rossi clashed in the dying stages, Marquez falling and suffering his first DNF of the 2015 season.
The MotoGP World Championship’s return to Europe proved another difficult weekend for Marquez. While out riding dirt track ahead of Jerez, Marquez suffered a fall and a broken left little finger. His Repsol Honda team fitted his RC213V with a special grip to help, but the pain was a noticeable distraction for Marquez. Despite the injury, he claimed second.
France, like Qatar, saw Marquez make a mistake at the start and drop down to seventh before fighting back to fourth. With just two podiums in the first five races, this marked Marquez’s worst start to a MotoGP season since joining the premier class in 2013. It was in France that issues with Honda’s 2015 bike began to emerge, a variety of swing arms and parts brought in to cure the problem.
A double DNF followed in Mugello and Barcelona for Marquez, the first time he had failed to finish two consecutive premier class races. This prompted a return to the 2014 Honda frame for Marquez in Assen and saw him battling for the win. As in Argentina, a clash with Rossi ended his hopes of victory, though Marquez was able to remain upright for second.
The German and Indianapolis GPs offered some hope that the problems and hardships were over as the Repsol Honda rider took back-to-back victories, but just two rounds later at the British GP Marquez would fall again; a crash in the pouring rain while chasing Rossi for victory being yet another dark spot.
Aragon saw Marquez crash for the fifth time in 2015, falling on the second lap at Turn 12 as he chased Jorge Lorenzo. Marquez placed the blame firmly at his own feet. With five crashes in 14 races, 2015 has been Marquez’s worst season since joining the World Championship back in 2008. His first two seasons in the lightweight class saw him fail to finish four times throughout the year as he begun to learn about the bikes, tracks and other riders on the world stage.
Ahead of next weekend’s Japanese GP, Marquez crashed his bicycle while out training, resulting in a broken fifth metacarpal on his left hand. He was immediately taken for surgery and will head to Japan in order to attempt to finish the 2015 season in third overall, his year not getting any easier.
Click HERE for more MotoGP news and features
