Marquez: More power, more difficult

MotoGP champion Marc Marquez thinks a harder bike to ride is the natural consequence of having more power and torque from this year's Honda engine.

But he also believes the 2019 chassis is better than last year's frame.

Fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow is yet to find the same confidence with the front of this year's machine, limiting what has been the RCV's strongest point; corner entry.

"My problem is that the bike feels absolutely nothing like last year's bike," Crutchlow said at Jerez.

"I think [with] the chassis side of things from last year I felt a lot, lot better.

"Everyone will say ‘Marc is winning on it’, but you have to accept that he's a different rider. Maybe if he jumped on the 2018 bike he'd not be as fast as he is on the 2019."

Reigning five-time champion Marquez, leading the standings by a single point over Suzuki's Alex Rins, agreed that different riders have different preferences, but insists the HRC trio are not so far apart.

"All of the riders have a little bit different feeling and sometimes [want to take development in] different directions, but one of the most important things for us now is that me, Cal and Jorge are going in the same direction with more or less the same set-up," Marquez said at Le Mans on Thursday.

"This is positive for Honda because it's easier to understand the way to improve. But it's true that with the new bike - I mean, it’s like always, when you get more torque and more power the bike is turning less and more difficult to ride.

"This is something that for example when people say, ‘the Suzuki is turning very good’, then they have less torque on the straight. It's like trying to find the correct balance.

"It is true that with the new bike we have more torque, it's more difficult in other areas but at the moment we are able to manage in a good way.

"The chassis, yeah we changed a little bit, but I did many comparisons in many different circuits and always I felt better on this new chassis."

Honda's clear engine step for 2019 has resulted in RCV riders setting the highest top speed in three of the four events so far.

Ducati, previously the bike to beat for top speed, has been quickest in the other event this year but long battled turning difficulties.