Repsol Honda officially launched its MotoGP 2013 campaign today, Thursday 24th January, at the Spanish oil company’s headquarters in Madrid, where factory riders Dani Pedrosa and Marc Márquez spoke to the world’s media and the new RC213V machine in theirs new paintwork for the upcoming season was presented. The Repsol Honda team also took the opportunity to announce a new team structure for this year, with Livio Suppo now taking on the role of team principal.
In 2013 we will have a very strong team again. HRC will give our two drivers the best chance of winning.
The new livery for the official Honda factory team is less than a million miles away from the 2012 design, only the iconic Honda wing image now adorns the seat unit, while the main fairings are wrapped in Repsol red. The crowded media center was full of anticipation this morning. Shuhei Nakamoto, Executive Vice-President of HRC, was in Madrid to introduce the drivers and explain a new team structure for the coming season. Before introducing the drivers, Mr Nakamoto spoke about his thoughts on the coming season, his predictions for the performance of new team-mates Pedrosa and Márquez on the track and he also spoke about the new team structure.
Mr Nakamoto said: “In 2013 we will have a very strong team again – Dani is coming into this season after a fantastic 2012 and with new motivation Marc is a great talent and I am sure it won’t be long before we see him.” on the podium. I’m excited about the new structure and everyone at HRC will continue to work hard on developing the bike to give our two riders the best possible chance of victory. ”
Delighted to be back with the Repsol Honda team at the start of yet another season, Pedrosa said: “I am very happy to be here on the Repsol campus today and to be the one who unveiled the bike and its new paint job. We had been using the old design for a long time and I think now is a good time to change. This year’s bike has a fresh touch that can give us a boost in the races. I hope the fans like it too. I’m really excited to start this preseason because at the Valencia test after the last race in 2012 we had so much rain that we couldn’t do much. I can’t wait to get to Malaysia and have a few days to put the bike through its paces, have fun and see what parts we will use for the inaugural race. ”
The 2013 Repsol Honda Team challenger
Marquez was surrounded by a crowd of photographers and reporters eager to see what the reigning Moto2 champion had to say about his new challenge. “I was really looking forward to this moment,” said Márquez and continued: “I’m very happy to have introduced the new color scheme for my promotion from Moto2 to MotoGP. If you see the bike painted with the Repsol and HRC logos, you will be very happy with this new step – it lets you see what a dream is coming true. I am like a kid with new shoes!
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the presentation and could see that the press attention for MotoGP is light years ahead of Moto2. We will gradually adjust to it. In the end, what matters on the track is what matters so I can’t wait for the Malaysia Testing to begin. I think it was a very positive initiative to broadcast the presentation online because I am sure that many fans would have liked to have attended this event. I hope they had a lot of fun, ”added Marquez.
Mr. Suppo also gave a short speech on his new position and the upcoming season. He said, “I want to thank HRC for their trust in me. I will do my best to deserve my new role and hope to contribute to the success of the team. I know that we can count on two very strong drivers, an impressive machine, a great international crew and the great support from Repsol and all of our sponsors. Together we will all do our best to keep the Repsol Honda Team at the forefront of MotoGP. ”
After the short questions and answers with British reporter Matt Roberts, both Pedrosa and Márquez were supported by the new team officials with Team Principal Livio Suppo, Mr. Takeo Yokoyama as Team Technical Director and Mr. Hideki Iwano as Team Director. The former technical director, Mr. Shinichi Kokubu, will become the new HRC general manager of the technology development department. Pedrosa and Márquez will have their first outing in 2013 when the team arrives in Malaysia for the first test from February 5-7.
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