Marc Márquez and Pol Espargaró will compete at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto this weekend, in the first Grand Prix of the season on home soil
MotoGP returns to Spain this weekend, heading to the emblematic Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto. Marc Márquez, eight-time World Champion, goes back to the scene of his injury last season, suffered when he was making an astonishing comeback.
After a great performance at the Portuguese Grand Prix, he comes into the round more prepared and with a favourable evolution in his fitness. After the race in Portimao, the Repsol Honda Team rider has had almost two weeks in which to further improve his recovery and train, getting ready to face what will be his second contest of the season.
Pol Espargaró arrives in Jerez with more experience accumulated on his Honda RC213V and with his sights set on taking a step forward both in qualifying and in the race.
Riding at a circuit he knows well and where he has claimed victory in both 125cc and Moto2, the Repsol Honda Team rider is focused on improving his performance in Saturday’s qualifying run, aware that a good position on the starting grid will allow him to fight at the front on raceday.
MARC MÁRQUEZ
“Now we are back into the rhythm of racing, after a productive week we are coming back to the track. I have continued to work through my recovery programme to make sure my physical condition is improving and following the advice of the doctors I have not ridden a motorcycle since Portugal. So, of course I am excited to get back on the bike! We approach Jerez the same way as Portimao; we are here to keep improving step by step and do the best job that we can. My recovery is continuing and the important thing is that we keep improving our consistency.”
POL ESPARGARÓ
“Jerez is a circuit we all know very well but it will be my first time there on the Honda. Stefan has been doing a lot of riding there with the Test Team, so we will have some good data to look at before the weekend and the work begins. Improving our Saturday performance remains one of my major goals, if we get this right then we can show our true potential on Sunday. We were unlucky in Portugal, now we reset and come at this new weekend ready to deliver on what we know our potential is. It’s a shame not to have all the fans track-side, racing in Spain is always special and especially in Jerez there’s an incredible atmosphere normally.”
