Sunday night is when the riders will come under starter`s orders for the start of a new season in the World Motorcycling Championship, and the Repsol Honda Team will once again be one of the main title conrtenders. Dani Pedrosa has recovered from the injuries he picked up during the pre-season in time for the race, although they prevented him from riding in the Official MotoGP Tests held in Jerez a little over a week ago. And when the first Grand Prix of the season officially gets underway on Friday night the Repsol rider will out to make up for the ground he has lost and riding alongside his new teammate, Andrea Dovizioso. The Spaniard will not be 100% but will go to battle it out in Qatar and pick up some points that will come in very useful.
For the second consecutive year the World Motorcycling Championship will begin at night in Qatar, and just like twelve months ago, caution will be the watchword in the Repsol pits, above all because Dani Pedrosa`s fall at the same circuit during the practice sessions held there just over a month ago is a good indicator of the difficulties that can be found at the circuit of Losail. However, there is also the memory of the great start made by the Repsol rider in the 2008 World Championship, as he overcome all the difficulties encountered during last year`s pre-season to end the race on the podium.
For Andrea Dovizioso this will without a doubt be a special race as he is facing his second year in the top category and this season he will be on an official Honda bike prepared by the Repsol Honda Team. After four months of preparation and practice in Malaysia, Qatar and Valencia, the time has come to take on both new and old rivals, and to demonstrate with optimism and hard work the confidence that HRC and Repsol have invested in him.
In the smallest of the three categories there are four riders defending the Repsol colours in the World Championship: Marc Márquez & Cameron Beaubier with KTM, and Esteve Rabat & Scott Redding with Aprilia. These riders have had over five months of practice and preparation, culminating a short time ago with good sensations at the same venue as the first race this Sunday: the circuit of Losail in Qatar. The negative news came from Cameron Beaubier who dislocated his right shoulder in a fall and now his debut depends on how it heals over the next few days.
Yesterday`s and Monday`s practice on the track in Qatar has helped to put the finishing touches to the bikes before the first race which is likely to be very tight as there is no reigning champion in the category this year. For Márquez & Redding this will be their second season in the World Championship, and they are looking forward to the race with optimism and a desire to do well. Both were in the limelight last year in a historic race at Donington Park, becoming the youngest ever rider to get a podium finish. Last season they gave some indications race after race of what they are capable of, and now they both have top class bikes and so have everything in their favour to continue improving and to spring more than a few surprises.
Esteve Rabat will start his third complete World Championship in Qatar, and will go to the first race with the confidence of a rider that is understands both his team and bike well. The Repsol rider is aware of the need to work hard so as to get his Aprilia RSA setup for the season, a motorbike that is giving him very good sensations. These impressions allow Rabat to start the season with confidence and in a relaxed state of mind, hoping that he will be able to battle it out with the leading group of riders.
Dani Pedrosa
“First, I’ve got to say I’m really happy to be going to Qatar for this race. It’s clearly been quite a difficult winter for me and not the preparation for the season that we would have chosen. But my recovery from the surgery in March has been good – probably a little better than we expected – and that means I have the chance to make the first race, which is great. Obviously I haven’t been able to do the usual level of physical training while I’ve been injured, and we’ve missed out on some testing time, so we have some catching up to do. But I know my team hasn’t been standing still while I’ve been away and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike and riding for the maximum result possible for my situation.”
Andrea Dovizioso
“Well, I’m really looking forward to the start of the season. This was my first winter as a factory Honda tester and it was an exciting experience to be in the full works squad. Now the preparation is over and we’re going racing. I like racing in Qatar, and riding under the floodlights at night is very special. It has an amazing, unique atmosphere and the layout of the track is different from the other circuits, in particular the turns are very long and it is not easy to get high speed corner. Still, I have always had good results in Qatar and last year, at my debut in MotoGP, I had a fantastic race. At the last test in Jerez our machine had improved compared to the previous test we did in Qatar at the beginning of March, so I’m confident for the first race of the season and I will be doing my best to fight up front.”
Marc Márquez
“I can`t wait for the first race and now it is just around the coorner. We have had quite a good complete pre-season, with a good number of practice sessions and many tests with new things. We still have to find the right setup because as we get faster and faster we have more and more things to adjust, above all on a circuit that is new for me and where I am learning something every time I go out on the track. These two days of practice have helped me to get to know the circuit a little, especially the work that we did on the Monday, and we have been adjusting the bike, that is what we concentrated on yesterday. This is not an especially difficult circuit, but we have some points where the differences are more marked. We are all having rebound problems on the rear wheel, but we are not too far behind the rest.”
Esteve Rabat
“I really can`t wait to start racing, because what we enjoy above all is racing and I think we can do things well. We have just finished two positive days of work. On Monday the track was a little diirty, but we were able to ride well and maintain a good pace. Yesterday we tested a series of changes but we did not get the results we expected, so we still have to finish the setup on the chassis, we want to eliminate the rebound on the rear wheel when taking corners. The overall sensations are very positive, both with the engine as well as on the front wheel, so when we have solved the rear wheel problem I am sure that things will work out well. It is going to be a very hard-fought World Championship and it will be important to keep my concentration and to stay calm so that we do things well and keep up with the leading group.”
Scott Redding
“We finally have the first race, and the truth is that now I am more confident than a few days ago, because little by little we have been improving the sensations from the chassis, which is the part that has taken most time to setup. The first day of practice in Qatar was not as positive as I would have liked because the rear wheel was still bouncing around a lot, but yesterday it was much better. We managed to get a setup that works quite well and which lets me ride more comfortably. I am pleased because I can now go faster and that is reflected in the results. This is a circuit I like and with the two sessions of practice we have left I am confident that we will start the first race well-prepared.”
Cameron Beaubier
“I feel a lot better, and in better spirits. Tonight I had some tests done in the hospital and they all went well. We will see what happens to my shoulder between now and Friday, and so be able to decide whether I can race. I had a very normal fall after losing adherence on the front wheel. Dislocating my shoulder was just bad luck, although this is not the first time it has happened to me and I hope I can recover in time to race. I like the circuit a lot, although it is difficult. I can`t wait to race, but we have to seee how my shoulder heals and what the doctors say to make our decision.”
