After considering the loss of Marc Márquez as a ‘blow’ for Honda, as the Spaniard was largely responsible for the technical feedback and comments and the direction to follow in terms of development, Stefan Bradl assured that now, more than ever, all riders are contributing, and this has both positive and not-so-positive aspects.
The Japanese brand’s test rider spoke to Motosan where he was asked if having a ‘leader’, especially at this stage when the manufacturer is playing catch-up, is necessary, the German replied: ‘It can be useful, but it also has its disadvantages’, he began by saying, before talking about the current reference on the grid, Ducati:
– We saw that at Ducati, Pecco is the number one rider, but others are also very strong and capable of winning races. At Honda, only Marc could do that. Now, everything has become more of a team effort. Every manufacturer is building stronger and larger test teams.
And he explained once again that the team cannot, to a certain extent, depend on one rider as it used to: ‘The bike needs to be suitable for many different riders, especially for the young ones who are coming in and need to be fast right away’.
In his view, this is actually the right way to work: ‘In my opinion, Honda is doing the right thing by listening to more feedback from several riders’.