Marco Simoncelli: “At Assen to turn the page”

After the disappointment of Silverstone, Marco Simoncelli returned home "confused", sad and embittered but with the great desire to turn the page at the next round in Assen.

He wants to say "enough" to the negative series that has accompanied him since five Grands Prix during which he was unable to certify in the race the form shown in the tests on Friday and Saturday. Always potentially capable of getting on the podium, for various reasons, he achieved very little from Jerez to Silverstone. Today he wants to leave this unprofitable period behind, think positively and start a new phase from Assen. The Dutch track is among his favorites despite being, today, only a distant relative of the old TT Circuit, definitively modified in 2006, which Marco particularly favored. Stimulating and exciting opportunity for Hiroshi Aoyama who, in the very likely event that Dani Pedrosa cannot race at Assen, will have the chance to contest the Dutch Grand Prix with the Honda RC212V Factory of Team Honda Repsol. An opportunity that Team San Carlo Honda Gresini, in the climate of extensive collaboration with HRC, shared favorably to give Hiroshi Aoyama a constructive experience. In his place, Team San Carlo Honda Gresini will have HRC test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi available.

Marco Simoncelli “After Silverstone I was “confused” for two or three days before recovering from the disappointment. Now I have largely overcome the bad day in England and I am thinking about Assen, putting the usual objective first, that of continuing to work as we have always done in previous Grands Prix, trying to materialize the excellent performances in testing and qualifying on Sunday. The path is the right one and we continue to have faith that the results will come. I like the Assen circuit although honestly I have to say that the old track was more interesting. In any case, even with this configuration, excluding the first hairpin, it is one of my favorite circuits and therefore I am sure I can be among the protagonists of the next Grand Prix. ”

Hiroshi Aoyama “I will most likely contest the Assen Grand Prix driving the RC212V Factory of Team Honda Repsol and for this reason I want to thank Team San Carlo Honda Gresini and HRC for offering me this great opportunity. ”

Fausto Gresini “Clearly the negative result in the Silverstone race saddened Marco who had been very fast during the tests. Now, however, we need to look forward confidently and go to Assen, on a circuit that Marco really likes and is favorable to him, with the same conviction with which we faced the other Grands Prix and the awareness that we can be protagonists. Today we no longer want to talk about results, we are superstitious and we don't want to make predictions so as not to be disappointed as in previous Grands Prix. We know we can do well and if everything goes right we will try to get the best performance possible. Hiroshi Aoyama will probably have the opportunity to take part in the Assen race and we are very happy that this will happen. In the climate of broad collaboration that has always been in place with HRC, we believe that for Hiroshi Aoyama it is a constructive experience. ”