Pedrosa and Marquez at Repsol team launch in Puertollano
The entire Repsol Honda Team landed in Spain for the first time in 2011 for its spectacular launch. The Repsol industrial complex in Puertollano (Ciudad Real) was the setting of the most powerful MotoGP Team launch, which includes Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Casey Stoner. One day before travelling to the Spanish Grand Prix, which takes place this weekend at the Jerez Circuit, Repsol riders of the premier class received the support of the other champions: Marc Márquez, who competes this year in Moto2; the Trial riders Toni Bou, Laia Sanz and Takahisa Fujinami; and Nani Roma, winner of the 2004 Dakar in the motorbikes category.
After their fantastic start in the MotoGP Championship, Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Casey Stoner will aim for victory in every race of the season. This weekend they will have their first opportunity to confirm their good level at the Jerez Circuit, where the second round of the year will be held. For Pedrosa, the Andalusian track is an extra motivation, while Dovizioso will arrive with the objective to get on the podium and Stoner is confident after his success in Losail. In Moto2, Marc Márquez faces a race full of hope and with the aim to gather more experience in the intermediate class and ride with the same consistency he showed in the preseason tests in this very same track.
After attending to the media, the riders were received at the Former Puertollano City Council Plenary Hall, today a Municipal Museum, where they signed in the City Hall Guestbook. Afterwards they visited an exhibition of 30 large format competition photographs by the Repsol photographers of the MotoGP World Championship, Jaime Olivares and Friedeman Kirn; and a motorcycles exhibition, where they saw legendary bikes such as the Honda NSR 500 used by Mick Doohan to achieve the 500cc World Championship Title in 1997 and the Honda RC212V witch which Repsol celebrated its 40 anniversary in the competition and that took the track in the Valencia Grand Prix in 2008.
Dani Pedrosa: “This is the second time I am in Puertollano and it is very interesting to see how they manufacture elements such as fuel, lubricants or plastics you use afterwards in the races and in your everyday life away from the circuits. About this weekend, Jerez is always a very special race, where the support of the fans gives you an extra motivation that allows you to be even faster. I like the circuit and it has always been good for me, although last season I had a technical problem that prevented me from winning.
We need to focus from the start, work as hard as we can on the bike’s set-up and the tyre choice and then we will see where we are. This week I had some more checks done to my shoulder and tomorrow we will have the results of the doctors’ evaluation and their recommendations”.
Marc Márquez: “Days like today allow you to see that behind the stickers you have in your bike there is a lot more. It was interesting to visit a complex such as this to learn from where materials as fuel, rubber or plastics come from. My mind is already in Jerez and after the experience gathered in the Qatar Grand Prix I learnt that the most important thing is to finish the race and don’t let your enthusiasm lead you astray. To run in front of the Spanish fans is always a motivation, but you need to learn to channel it. I hope to do a good job and enjoy my second race in Moto2”.
Source: Repsol Media
