Alberto Puig identifies Marc Marquez’s one weak spot after working with him at Honda, ‘if I had to say…’

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Marc Marquez remains the strong favourite for the 2025 MotoGP title despite relinquishing the championship lead following the Grand Prix of Spain. It would be his first championship since he took the bombshell decision to leave Honda.

Marquez slipped behind his brother Alex in the standings after an early fall during Sunday’s race. He was able to recover to 12th despite significant damage, but the Gresini rider’s maiden victory edged him a point ahead.

This is the second time in five races that Marquez has blown a potential victory with a mistake. He crashed out of a comfortable lead at the Americas GP late last month.

The Spaniard also lost his 100% pole position record in Jerez as Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo sprung a huge surprise. However, his dominant victory in the Saturday Sprint suggests he would have won the Grand Prix without his error.

It’s often said in the paddock that the only rider who can beat Marquez is Marquez himself. While he’s generally been a class above the rest of the field this year, he’s also shown his rivals that he’s not invincible.

Alberto Puig says he had to blunt with Marc Marquez at Honda

In an interview with DAZN at the Spanish Grand Prix, Alberto Puig was asked whether Marquez had any weaknesses. Puig has been Honda’s MotoGP manager since the 2018 season.

His tenure started with back-to-back titles for Marquez, completing a run of four in a row. Overall, it was six in seven years following his graduation from Moto2.

However, the Ant of Cervera would pick up a serious injury at the start of 2020 that had severe long-term ramifications. After Honda fell down the pecking order, he chose to join Gresini for 2024.

Puig was understandably reluctant to criticise Marquez, but he did admit that he had to be blunt with the superstar rider at times. If he wasn’t ‘brutal’ in his tone, he wasn’t sure whether he’d listen.

He said: “I’m not one to talk about people’s weaknesses and strengths, but if I had to say something, I think at some point, while I was with us, I would tell him, you have to say things more emphatically so they’re understood more clearly.

“Because he’s always been very correct in the way he explains things, and I’m sometimes a little more radical, a little more brutal, but well, this is an anecdote.”

“I think Marc is clear about what he has to do, he’s in a sweet moment and what he’s also clear about is not losing focus.”

Was Francesco Bagnaia the cause of Marc Marquez’s Spanish Grand Prix crash?

Pedro Acosta admits it’s a ‘pleasure’ to watch Marquez at Ducati this season. Though he may still be error-prone, he’s closing in on the series’ all-time records.

Mat Oxley said during the Jerez weekend that Marquez inspired the same ‘hero worship’ as Valentino Rossi. One could argue that this is good for the sport.

Marquez hasn’t been able to win consistently since the late 2010s, but the prospect of seeing him on a Desmosedici motorcycle sells tickets and attracts sponsors.

While he’s yet to beat his teammate in a straight fight, some MotoGP fans think Bagnaia may have caused Marquez’s crash last weekend. He wasn’t directly to blame, of course, but he pushed the 32-year-old out of his comfort zone by refusing to yield in their early battle.