Sun 10th March: Marquez fights for second in 22-lap Qatar thriller, Lorenzo scores on debut

Marquez lit up the Qatar night with second place after a race-long brawl as Lorenzo worked his way up to 13th place.

With Warm Up held in the late afternoon and still under the daylight, it only offered the Repsol Honda Team a brief chance to confirm their settings ahead of 2019’s opening Grand Prix. As the sun set and the floodlights flickered to life the ambient temperature settled at 18ºC with the track at 19ºC.

Marc Marquez held his own in the opening laps, keeping out of trouble and moving ahead of the chasing pack with Andrea Dovizioso. The reigning World Champion was soon joined in his hunt for victory, a frantic melee between the leading seven riders playing out over the next 20 laps. Just 0.023s split Marquez from Andrea Dovizioso as they crossed the line, Marquez opening his 2019 account with 20 points.

After yesterdays pair of heavy falls, Jorge Lorenzo’s Repsol Honda Team debut was heavily restricted by lingering pain in his back and shoulder. Focusing on his own rhythm and understanding the Honda over race distance, Lorenzo battled to 13th to earn three points on his debut.

LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow completed the podium in third.

The MotoGP™ World Championship now prepares for Round Two at the Argentina Grand Prix, March 29 – 31 hosted at the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit.

Sat 9th March: Marquez opens 2019 with front row for Qatar GP

Marc Marquez overcame cold conditions in Qatar to secure a spot on the front row as Jorge Lorenzo battles through the pain barrier for 15th.

Free Practice 3 did not get off to an ideal start for the Repsol Honda Team as Jorge Lorenzo crashed heavily at Turn 6, shortly followed by Marc Marquez who lost the front at Turn 14. Both fortunately avoided any serious injuries, Marquez returning to the wind-hit track to lead the session with a 1’54.677.

After a medical check, Jorge Lorenzo was deemed fit and returned to ride in Free Practice 4. Gusty winds remained for Free Practice 4 and Qualifying, the track reaching just 18ºC. Marc Marquez would suffer his second fall of the day, coming off at Turn 6 early in session and quickly remounting.

Jorge Lorenzo pushed from the off in Q1 to set a 1’54.563, unfortunately unable to improve his time after joining a number of riders in falling at Turn 2. Lorenzo’s time will see him start the Qatar Grand Prix from 15th on the grid. Two heavy falls left Lorenzo with pain in his back, arms and legs, the five-time world champion hoping to be as pain free as possible for tomorrow’s race.

Q2 started with the track temperature a mere 16ºC, Marquez taking a cautious approach for his opening run. The reigning MotoGP™ World Champion left his charge in Q2 late, setting a 1’53.745 to secure a front row birth for the opening race of the 2019 MotoGP™ World Championship.

Action begins at the Losail International Circuit with Warm Up at 15:40 local time with the lights going out at 20:00 local time and the 2019 MotoGP World Championship officially back underway.

Repsol Honda Team ready for 25th year in the premier class

2019 marks 25 years of collaboration between HRC and Repsol as the iconic squad prepares for another year of competition with two champion riders.

112 days after the Valencia GP, the MotoGP™ World Championship is set to roar back to life under the unique Qatar floodlights. 2019 sees the Repsol Honda Team welcome five-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo alongside Marc Marquez and celebrate a 25-year partnership between Repsol and HRC.

During their 25 years racing at the highest level in motorcycle racing, Repsol and Honda have achieved 14 world championships, 168 victories, 427 podiums, 177 pole positions and 182 fastest laps. With 12 world titles between them, Marquez and Lorenzo form the most successful team on the MotoGP™ grid and begin another chapter in the Repsol Honda Team’s history.

Shoulder surgery in late December led to the most challenging off-season of Marc Marquez’s career and hundreds of hours of physiotherapy. Maintaining the mantra of ‘there are no points for testing’, the reigning World Champion had a, by his standards, subdued testing campaign but arrives in Qatar happy with the feeling of his Honda RC213V and with his physical condition. Since entering the premier class in 2013, Marquez has never finished outside of the top five in Qatar.

The Qatar GP will be Jorge Lorenzo’s racing debut in Repsol Honda Team colours. Having improved his lap time at the Qatar Test by 2.437 seconds, Lorenzo is looking to continue his adaptation to the Honda RC213V. Although Lorenzo was forced to miss the Sepang Test due to a broken scaphoid, his potential on the Honda is clear and the weekend will present him with more crucial bike time. With six wins and five podiums from 15 visits, the Losail International Circuit is amongst Lorenzo’s strongest.

The first MotoGP™ press conference of 2019 is set for 17:00 local time on Thursday, March 07 with both Marquez and Lorenzo in attendance after the traditional ‘class photo’. Free Practice One begins at 15:40 local time with the lights of the MotoGP™ race scheduled to go out at 20:00 local time on Sunday, March 10.

Location Information
The fabulous Losail International Circuit lies on the outskirts of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. Built in little over a year, the track cost $58 million USD and required round-the-clock dedication from almost 1,000 workers in order to get it ready.

Length: 5.380 kilometres / 3.343 miles
Width: 12 metres
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 10
Longest straight: 1.068 kilometres / 0.664 miles
Constructed: 2004

Productive penultimate test day for Repsol Honda Team

An early start in Qatar allowed Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo to improve the setup of their respective Honda RC213Vs alongside their lap times.

With information gained from the opening day of the Qatar Test, Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo were amongst the first riders on track for day two. The Losail International Circuit started the evening in a much cleaner condition, allowing for more productivity from earlier in the day.

Within just a handful of laps, Marc Marquez was able to improve his time from the opening day by almost half a second. 57 laps around the 5.38 km Losail International Circuit produced a best time of 1’55.004, placing Marquez fifth overall. The day was not only for testing the Honda RC213V, but also to test Marquez’s shoulder – the reigning champion completing the highest number of laps since his shoulder surgery in December.

Meanwhile, Jorge Lorenzo and his side of the Repsol Honda Team garage continued to adjust the ergonomics of the bike to suit the five-time champion’s body and riding style. It proved to be a busy day for Lorenzo who was still able to complete 44 laps while improving his time by a substantial 1.348 seconds to a 1’55.742.

Just a single day of pre-season testing remains before the 2019 MotoGP™ World Championship begins in Qatar on March 8.

Repsol Honda Team show off 2019 colours

Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo sit aboard the Honda RC213V machine in full 2019 livery for the first time.

Having debuted the 2019 Repsol Honda Team livery at the launch in Madrid back in late January, the Spanish duo entered the photographer’s studio to preview the colours they’ll be racing this season.

The pair will soon head to Qatar for the final pre-season test, February 23 – 25, before the season begins at the same venue on March 10.

 

Marquez back on the bike after a substantial shoulder operation

The 2019 pre-season has been different to any other before it for reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez after a substantial shoulder operation in early December.

Surgery was performed by Dr. Xavier Mir, Dr. Victor Marlet and Dr. Teresa Marlet at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus in order to resolve a recurring dislocation of Marc Marquez’s left shoulder. The issue had persisted throughout the 2018 season, and the winter break was deemed the only time possible to operate on the Repsol Honda Team rider. With recovery predicted to take multiple months, Marquez and his team set about building a plan to strength the shoulder and prepare for the Sepang Test on February 6 – 8.

Hours of work with his physiotherapist Carlos J. García and highly targeted training in the gym became Marquez’s new winter routine. But, the seven time World Champion kept his focus, pushing to be as fit as possible for Malaysia.

The goal of returning to racing his Honda RC213V remained his motivation throughout and each week offered a new milestone. First, being able to use his shoulder in every day life, ride a mountain bike and then return to training with motorbikes. A practice bike would be the shoulder’s first test of 2019 and on January 29 – just under two months after his operation – Marquez was back.

With some trepidation, Marquez rolled onto a track in Alcarràs, near his home in Cervera, to see if the shoulder was ready for the demands of a bike.

“I needed this!” beamed Marquez after his first run. “I touched my elbow on the ground! Riders in general need to have their minds clear. At least on the trip to Malaysia, which is 14 hours long, I will be thinking I have ridden a bike, got on the brakes, felt the throttle and the clutch. We have done a few laps that have helped me to see where things are. This week we have to work on it. It was pretty much what I expected, the large force under braking – especially left-handers, where I have to support my left shoulder was problematic. That is where we have to continue working, have patience in Malaysia and get to March at full fitness.”

Now the attention turns to the Sepang Test on February 6 – 8 when Marc Marquez and the Honda RC213V will meet again as they prepare to defend the Triple Crown.

2019 Repsol Honda Team livery revealed in Madrid

Marc Márquez and Jorge Lorenzo were joined by Repsol Honda Team legends Mick Doohan and Alex Crivillé to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Repsol Honda Team.

The two world champions were joined by the world’s press at Repsol’s headquarters in Madrid to unveil the livery in which they will chase the 2019 crown.

Having taken eight of the last nine world championships in the premier class, Marc Márquez and Jorge Lorenzo form a perfect team to celebrate the 25thanniversary of HRC and Repsol joining forces. The first riders to run in these now iconic colours, Mick Doohan and Alex Crivillé, were also able to join the special presentation to share their memories from 1995 onwards.

The riders were joined on stage by Tetsuhiro Kuwata, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) Director, and Antonio Brufau, CEO of Repsol who both outlined and emphasized their plans for continual success. Carmelo Ezpleta, the CEO of Dorna and Begoña Elices, the General Director of Communications and board member at Repsol were also in attendance.

From the Honda NSR500 of Doohan and Crivillé to the RC213V of Márquez and now Lorenzo, the HRC machines have taken 168 victories in the premier class, 14 World Championships, 427 podiums, 182 fastest laps and 177 pole positions together with Repsol, forming not only the most iconic pairing in Grand Prix racing, but also the most successful. Among these accolades, the Repsol Honda Team have also produced four dominating titles for Mick Doohan, the first Spanish 500cc World Champion in Alex Crivillé (1999) and the youngest MotoGP™ champion in history – Marc Márquez. Now they celebrate their 25th anniversary and aim for even more success in the future.

Marc Marquez will now begin his final preparations for the Sepang Test (February 6 – 8) where he and the RC213V will debut the 2019 livery for the first time on track. Meanwhile, Jorge Lorenzo is set to commence an intense physical therapy routine in order to be as fit as possible for the Qatar Test (February 23 – 25). Finally the 2019 MotoGP™ season begins in under the floodlights in Qatar (March 07 – 10).

Jerez testing goes well for Repsol Honda team

The MotoGP riders completed the second and final day of testing during the last testing session of the year at Jerez de La Frontera in Spain, with Marc Marquez second fastest and just 0.025” off fellow HRC rider Takaaki Nakagami.

Marc and Jorge Lorenzo took advantage of another day in ideal weather conditions to continue their preparation for the new season. Marc set his fastest time of 1’37.970” on lap 53/56. Meanwhile, Jorge finished a very positive fourth with a time of 1’38.105” on his 65th –and final–lap.

It has been a long and successful racing season for the Repsol Honda Team, and the preparation for next year has got off to a positive start. Testing will resume after the winter break, when Marc and Jorge are back on the track in Malaysia, on 6-8 February 2019.

Repsol Honda aims to seal the Triple Crown in Valencia before Dani Pedrosa’s farewell

The Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana will be an emotional event for Dani Pedrosa, his numerous fans around the world, and paddock friends in the MotoGP community. The three-time World Champion announced his retirement from racing at the German GP earlier this year, after 18 seasons in Grand Prix racing as a Honda rider.

One of the most successful riders of all time, (eighth on the All Time Wins list), Dani will be inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame on Thursday in Valencia.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez paid a visit last Tuesday to the Honda stand at the EICMA Show in Milan, Italy, then headed home to Spain to celebrate his seventh World Title with a great party in his hometown of Cervera.

Next Sunday, the squad will try to seal the Team Championship and thereby clinch the MotoGP Triple Crown, having already achieved the Riders Title in Japan and the Constructors Title in Malaysia.

The Repsol Honda Team have earned four double-podium finishes at the track where Pedrosa (last year’s winner) is the most successful rider: 2013 (Pedrosa 2nd, Marquez 3rd), 2014 (Marquez 1st, Pedrosa 3rd), 2015 (Marquez 2nd, Pedrosa 3rd) and 2017 (Pedrosa 1st, Marquez 3rd to win that year’s World Title).

At the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana

Marc Marquez has 2 wins—1xMoto2 (2012) and 1xMotoGP (2014)—plus 4 podiums and 3 pole positions.

Dani Pedrosa has 7 wins—1×125 (2002), 2×250 (2004, 2005), and 4xMotoGP (2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017), plus an additional 5 podiums and 5 pole positions.

 

Source: HRC news

Marc Marquez earns Honda the 2018 MotoGP Constructors Title

From seventh on the grid to the 70th win in his career: In Malaysia, Marc Marquez took his ninth win this season and his 44th in MotoGP, earning Honda its 24th Premier Class Constructors Title. Furthermore, thanks to today’s win of newly crowned Moto3 World Champion Jorge Martin, Honda has achieved also the Moto3 Constructor Title bringing its tally to 69 over all classes, a record in the Championship’s history.

Such were the numbers, but today’s competition was also another master class race for the 2018 MotoGP World Champion, who recovered from the third row of the grid to second place within five laps of the start before beginning a long chase of erstwhile leader Valentino Rossi. Marc was preparing for what seemed certain would be a battle for the victory when the Italian slipped off four laps from the end.

On the other side of the garage, Dani Pedrosa matched his best result of this season, taking fifth place after displaying a strong pace during the race.

Now the Repsol Honda Team will pack up and fly back to Europe, where Marc will pay a visit to the Honda stand at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday before heading home to Spain.

Credit: HRC News