In October, Marc Márquez announced his departure from Repsol Honda at the end of this MotoGP season, moving to Gresini. Now, the Japanese manufacturer has to fill the vacant seat, but it seems they may not be able to secure one of the most talented and experienced riders in the field.
Óscar Haro discussed the matter on Paddock TV and argued that if Honda offered a two-year contract, they might attract riders of a higher caliber to take the risk on their project:
– They are thinking about which rider to place on the Honda. The problem that Honda has is that they make one-year contracts, so they talked to riders like Aleix Espargaró, Maverick Viñales, Miguel Oliveira… and none of them wants to leave Aprilia or Ducati to go to Honda for one year with a bike that still doesn’t work. We all know perfectly well which Honda works and why it works. If they offered a two-year contract, someone like Viñales or Aleix Espargaró might be willing to go to Honda for two years.