Yamaha vs. Honda: This is the dispute between the two brands in the Motorcycling World Championship
The Spanish rider Marc Márquez of the Repsol Honda Team faces the legendary Italian rider Valentino Rossi of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team
Leer en español: Yamaha vs. Honda: Esta es la disputa de las dos marcas en el Campeonato del Mundo de Motociclismo
The Motorcycle World Championship, popularly known as the MotoGP, is being clearly dominated in the current season by the Spanish driver Marc Márquez, who competes for the Repsol Honda Team. The difference that has over the second classified, the legendary Italian driver Valentino Rossi Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team, is overwhelming, it is 46 points with only 9 grands prix disputed.
Yamaha and the worst streak in its history
Honda has taken advantage of Yamaha, not only in the drivers 'standings but also in the constructors' step, as Márquez overtakes Rossi by 46 points and in turn, Honda overtakes Yamaha by 40 points. This panorama extends the negative streak that Yamaha carries. According to the Spanish sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo, with the culmination of the GP of Germany on July 15, which won Márquez ahead of Rossi, Yamaha accumulated 19 Grands Prix without getting the victory, this being the worst streak in its history. Yamaha's worst historical moment had been 18 consecutive non-winning races between 2002 and 2004.
Also read: Mercedes vs Ferrari: the historical fight of the Formula 1?
Márquez has been able to take advantage of this unprecedented Yamaha streak and has won 5 of the 9 Grands Prix contested so far. "It was as expected. Last year it was even tighter. Luck that the two Yamaha are wrong, because if they get well I do not know what we would have done", said the Spanish driver at the press conference after the GP of Germany, in statements collected by the specialized media Motor1.
From the lightweight class to # Moto2 and IGNORE INTO #MotoGP , @ marcmarquez93 has proved time and time again that he is the King of the Sachsenring
– MotoGP (@MotoGP) July 16, 2018
Honda and Yamaha, different jobs on their bikes
The good present of Honda and the long negative Yamaha run can be explained from the work that each team has done in their respective bikes. Valentino Rossi, standard bearer of Yamaha, has blamed his own team for not working rigorously on the failures that had been detected in the past. "I think it's the same problem of the second part of last year. There is a reason why we still have it, and that is that we have not done anything, basically (laughs). We cannot expect them to basically disappear on their own", the Italian rider said in remarks collected by Mundo Deportivo.
On the other hand, Marc Márquez, leader of Honda, gave very different statements to those of Rossi on Yamaha, as he praised the work of his team in ensuring that his bike was a machine with more stable attributes. "The strengths are less strong this year, but the weak are also less weak. We are more regular (…) We are working very well with Honda and we must continue like this in the second half of the world with the same sensations that we have until now", said Márquez in statements collected by the specialized portal Motorpasion Moto.
Will an old war reappear?
Valentino Rossi and Marc Márquez had a difficult relationship since 2015, when the Italian accused the Spaniard of being responsible for his loss of the MotoGP World Championship. However, the relationship has improved to the present, but everything can change due to the overwhelming advantage of Marquez over Rossi and some friction on and off the track.
Argentina was the epicenter of some flashes of life of the war between both pilots, because the Spanish collided with the Italian in the GP that was disputed in April. "The problem is that it is dangerous, I am afraid of being on track with Márquez. Raises the level of competition to a very dangerous point. He treats me worse than the rest. If he continues to behave like that, it will be a very dangerous sport", Rossi said on that occasion, in statements reproduced by Cope.
Márquez affirms that he has apologized to Rossi, but that the peace between the two depends on the Italian. "It does not depend on me. After 2015, we had resolved it. In Argentina, that problem happened in the race, I asked for forgiveness and I have also been penalized. What else do I have to do?”, said Márquez in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
The MotoGP has gone on summer vacation and Márquez gave some somewhat controversial statements: "If they had told me that I would go on vacation with 46 points ahead of the 46 (Rossi), I would have signed," said the Spaniard with laughter in collected statements by Motor1. It only remains to see how Rossi will react to these words of the Spanish, and if they will be the trigger to revive this legendary MotoGP war.
LatinAmerican Post | Javier Aldana
Translated from “Yamaha vs. Honda: Esta es la disputa de las dos marcas en el Campeonato del Mundo de Motociclismo”
