Santi Hernández and Marc Márquez have been a very close duo in MotoGP over the past few years, with a partnership that has seen many successes and more recently some disappointments, but that doesn’t take away Hernández’s pleasure in sharing the garage with the former world champion.
The chief mechanic of the Spanish star began by recalling the surprise when the rider himself wanted him by his side, in words to the Honda documentary, Behind the Dream: ‘When Marc, after working together in Moto2 since 2011, wanted me by his side to make the jump to MotoGP, it was a big surprise: I wasn’t expecting it, I had no experience in MotoGP, and it was a dream to be part of this family’.
For Hernández, there are many other participants in the championship who also deserve to win titles, considering himself fortunate but also having gone through very difficult periods, not forgetting Márquez’s crash at the start of 2020:
– I believe many other mechanics deserve a world title. It takes a lot of passion and a lot of tenacity, but above all I was lucky to work with a winning driver, with many glorious seasons. We also suffered at the bottom of the table after winning so many titles: Marc’s accident and all the complications made us feel bad, but I am proud to have worked for HRC for ten years.
Despite everything, Hernández ensures, #93 is the one who steers his boat: ‘My leader is Marc, for better or worse. I am just a part of a project. Marc is the one who makes the difference, when he is on the bike and even when he is not.’
