Honda’s countdown to the 2020 MotoGP World Championship season got off to a disastrous start as Marc Marquez destroyed his all-new Honda RC213V on day one of the post-season test in Valencia, following on from falls for Alex Marquez and Stefan Bradl.
Having dipped under the Valencia lap record early in the morning session riding the 2019-specification machine he wrapped up a sixth MotoGP world title on, Marquez threw his leg over the black liveried 2020=spec RC213V for the first time with a view to challenging his own benchmark.
However, as the afternoon session began to hit its stride, Marquez got out of shape at Turn 13, the bike flicking him into a high-side before spiralling across the track and into the gravel trap, creating a significant amount of damage.
Despite the speed of the crash – which occurred on an out-lap – Marquez was soon up on his feet and began running through the gravel trap retrieving bodywork, no doubt in the hope Honda can fix the heavily damaged machine.
That's one 2020 bike ruined...
Marc Márquez goes around the gravel trying to salvage pieces of his Honda bike.
What a wreck #ValenciaTest pic.twitter.com/mEiuyU7JEU
— MotoGP on BT Sport (@btsportmotogp) November 19, 2019
Marquez’s misfortune comes on an expensive day all round for Honda after seeing its champion’s team-mate and brother Alex Marquez crash his 2019-spec bike just eight laps into his MotoGP career, while test rider Stefan Bradl has also suffered a fall today in the cool conditions.
On the timesheets at 1pm (local), Fabio Quartararo – getting his first taste of the full A-spec Yamaha M1 – was quickest 1m 30.599s lap, from his Petronas SRT team-mate Franco Morbidelli. Marquez was third on the 2019 Honda from Maverick Vinales, Andrea Dovizioso and Pol Espargaro on the much updated KTM RC16.
RED FLAG @marcmarquez93 highsides at turn 13! #RiderOK | #ValenciaTest pic.twitter.com/gkjUZx6S5w
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) November 19, 2019
