Repsol HRC talk Jerez | A circuit that favours Pedrosa

HRC on Jerez MotoGP

The Repsol Honda Team and the MotoGP paddock has returned to Europe, to Southern Spain, for Round 4 of the MotoGP Championship. They arrive fresh from Marc Marquez’s maiden win of the season in Austin, with which he equalled Mick Doohan (Mugello, 1993-1998) and Casey Stoner (Phillip Island, 2007-2012) with six consecutive premier-class victories at the same circuit.

The amazing result allowed Marc to move up the order to second, just one point off the top of the World Championship classification.

Marc Marquez

“We arrive in Spain following a great weekend and a great result in Texas, but now a new phase begins in Europe, where we’ll see the level of every team and rider. Here, the circuits are generally different and more ‘traditional,’ starting with Jerez, which is a tighter, slower, and more difficult track than the ones like Austin.

“We had a good setup there, and now it will be important to also find a good base for circuits like Jerez. We had a good test there at the end of March, and we’ll approach it with a positive mentality. Racing in front of my home crowd and my fan club will of course add to the good feeling and atmosphere. We’ll keep working hard and focusing on consistency, which is a crucial point for the title chase; I think Dovi will be a great rival, as he was last year.

“Anyway, this year I feel really good on the bike: In Qatar, Argentina, and Austin, the confidence was always there, and that’s the most important thing. We’re just one point behind in the championship, so we must continue this way.”

Dani made his MotoGP debut at Jerez in 2006 with a brilliant second-place finish, and last year he reached an historic landmark in winning the 3,000th Grand Prix race ever held and taking the Repsol Honda Team’s 100th victory in the MotoGP class. He will try to make the best of his good feeling with the track to overcome the difficulties of recovering from surgery to his right wrist.

Dani Pedrosa

“I’m looking forward to the next race, in Jerez. Finally we get to Europe. I’ve had one more week for my wrist to recover, and hopefully that will help with my riding. It was important to get some points in the last race, and once again we’ll try our best at Jerez. Hopefully on Friday there will be less pain in my hand, and the strength will be good enough to ride in the best possible conditions at a track that I like very much, surrounded by all my fans.”

Marc and Dani have stood together on the podium at the Andalusian track on three occasions, in 2013, 2014, and last year.

The Repsol Honda Team has completed a positive one-day private test in Jerez – which has been fully resurfaced last summer, on 26 March.

Along with the recent Grand Prix of the Americas, the Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix will be the second event this season to be shortened in length compared to previous years. This time the race will change from 27 laps to 25.

At the Gran Premio Red Bull de España

Dani Pedrosa has 4 wins: 1 x 250 (2005) and 3 x MotoGP (2008, 2013 and 2017), plus an additional 7 podiums and 4 pole positions.

Marc Marquez has 1 win: MotoGP (2014), plus an additional 6 podiums and 3 pole positions.

Gran Premio Red Bull de Espana
Jerez MotoGP 2018 Schedule – AEST

• Friday
  • Moto3 FP1 – 17:00
  • MotoGP FP2 – 17:55
  • Moto2 FP1 – 18:55
  • Moto3 FP2 – 21:10
  • MotoGP FP2 – 22:05
  • Moto2 FP2 – 23:05
• Saturday
  • Moto3 FP3 – 17:00
  • MotoGP FP3 – 17:55
  • Moto2 FP3 – 18:55
  • Moto3 QP – 20:35
  • MotoGP FP4 – 21:30
  • MotoGP Q1 – 22:10
  • MotoGP Q2 – 22:35
  • Moto2 QP – 23:05
• Sunday
  • Moto3 WUP – 16:40
  • Moto2 WUP – 17:10
  • MotoGP WUP – 17:40
  • Moto3 Race – 19:00
  • Moto2 Race – 20:20
  • MotoGP Race – 22:00

MotoGP Championship Standings following COTA

1. Andrea DOVIZIOSO – ITA 46
2. Marc MARQUEZ – SPA 45
3. Maverick VIÑALES – SPA 41
4. Cal CRUTCHLOW – GBR 38
5. Johann ZARCO – FRA 38
6. Andrea IANNONE – ITA 31
7. Valentino ROSSI – ITA 29
8. Jack MILLER – AUS 26
9. Tito RABAT – SPA 22
10. Danilo PETRUCCI – ITA 21
11. Dani PEDROSA – SPA 18
12. Alex RINS – SPA 16
13. Hafizh SYAHRIN – MAL 9
14. Pol ESPARGARO – SPA 8
15. Aleix ESPARGARO – SPA 6
16. Jorge LORENZO – SPA 6
17. Franco MORBIDELLI – ITA 6
18. Takaaki NAKAGAMI – JPN 5
19. Scott REDDING – GBR 4
20. Alvaro BAUTISTA – SPA 4
21. Karel ABRAHAM – CZE 1