Marc Márquez and Pol Espargaró head to Qatar, where the 2022 MotoGP World Championship will start this weekend.
After completing five days of pre-season testing – two in Malaysia and three in Indonesia –, the Repsol Honda Team come into the first round of the MotoGP season with Marc Márquez ready to compete again on his new Honda RC213V. The Spanish rider finished the two pre-season tests feeling good, motivated and satisfied with the results that he had obtained.
Pol Espargaró is entering his second season as a Repsol Honda Team rider. He also finished the two pre-season tests positively, as the fastest rider of the entire MotoGP grid in the class’ first experience of the Mandalika track in Indonesia. The Repsol Honda Team rider is pleased with the new Honda and with the upgrades that the Japanese factory provided during the two tests.
Marc Márquez
“Well, what can I say about the start of 2022? After what we have overcome recently my motivation to start the season is huge, we have come through something difficult and now it’s time to enjoy. But not just enjoying riding, enjoying competing and enjoying fighting at the front again. This is my tenth year in the MotoGP class and now I am one of the most experienced in the class, there’s many new competitors but the goal is still the same: to fight for the World Championship. We arrive with a new bike so we need to see how it behaves in Qatar, but we have built a good base and I am looking forward to the weekend and to racing again. It will be my first-time racing in Qatar since 2019, but I am ready. Let’s get the season started!”
Pol Espargaró
“Coming from the good tests we had, of course I am excited to get started with a new season. I have been training to my maximum in the winter to be as physically prepared as possible. We arrive now in a very different situation to 12 months ago, I know Honda, I know my team and although this RC213V is new – I am understanding it more and more. Yes, we had a good pre-season but when you go racing everything is different. This weekend in Qatar is about making a base line and improving on it each week, I want to be fighting at the front each weekend but it’s early. Let’s see what happens, who appears with what and how the slightly different race time will change the conditions. Overall, I’m just happy I get to ride again.”
