2022 was a year of many firsts for the Repsol Honda MotoGP team. For the first time in eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez’s storied MotoGP career (with the exception of the 2020 season), he didn’t claim victory. During Marquez’s six-race absence, Honda also failed to score a Grand Prix point at the 2022 German GP.
The situation isn’t looking any better heading into 2023 either. At the final round of the season, the Valencia Grand Prix, three out of the four Hondas on the grid didn't finish the race. Chief among those riders was Marquez, who crashed out of fourth place on the tenth lap of the 27-lap race.
The poor results leave Repsol Honda in a precarious position as preparations for the 2023 season get underway. Team Red has been dealing with these inconsistencies for some time now. Ever since Marquez’s injury woes began in 2020, the brand has shifted its RC213V development to suit a wider range of riders. The outcome has been far from ideal, though.
In the past, Honda focused all its efforts on maximizing Marquez’s championship prospects. The plan worked with great effect too, with the parties claiming six MotoGP titles in seven years. Despite Big Red’s attempts to democratize the platform, the RC213V has only proved more difficult to ride in 2022. Marquez ended the year in 13th place, while Honda riders Pol Espargaro, Alex Marquez, and Takaaki Nakagami finished in 16th, 17th, and 18th position (respectively).
At this critical juncture in Honda’s racing history, HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) grants viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the team’s recent struggles with the Behind the Dream (more like Behind the Nightmare) series. The video collection includes installments centered around Respol Honda test rider Stefan Bradl, race engineer Motohiko “Cinque” Tono, spare parts coordinator Shibasaki “Shiba” Katsura, and team boss Alberto Puig.
However, the series starts off with legendary rider Marc Marquez. As we expected, the YouTube videos don’t divulge the project’s critical technical information, but the filmmakers capture a pensive yet poignant tone. That’s something we’re not used to associating with HRC. On the other hand, that approachability only helps the audience root for the team to return to form in 2023.
