MotoGP – Team Honda Repsol presented in Madrid, Andrea Dovizioso absent

This afternoon, the “Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid” hosted the presentation of the Repsol Honda team in a festive atmosphere. Dani Pedrosa was the star of the evening given the absence of his teammate Andrea Dovizioso who had to withdraw from the event due to high fever and flu. The highlight of the event coincided with the presentation of the 212 Repsol Honda RC2010V. The bike came off the roof of the “Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid” amidst a light and musical show, much to the surprise of the public. Here are the words of Dani Pedrosa and the influenced Andrea Dovizioso.

Dani Pedrosa
“Being here at the presentation of the Repsol Honda Team and seeing the support of all our fans is a fantastic feeling. I feel very motivated for next season and our goals are clear, to improve in every area and constantly fight for victories. It's especially nice to be here today, because last year I couldn't be there for the team presentation because I was injured and it was a strange feeling watching it all from home. I start this season in a very positive mood. Overall it was a very good winter for me and much better than last year. I was able to do a lot of workouts. Also I was able to rest after the end of last season and although I had a small operation to remove a screw from my wrist, the recovery period after this was very short and I can start the year in very good shape. Training will help me a lot throughout the season to keep my performance at its best. During the last tests in Sepang we were not able to make as much progress as we would have liked to make, but we still have two days of testing ahead of us and we will do our utmost to prepare for the first race. In Qatar we will be busy improving some areas of our bike and I am sure that when we have solved these problems there will be a big step forward and I hope to do it in Qatar. I can't wait for this season to start.”

Andrea Dovizioso
“I'm really sorry I wasn't able to attend the Team presentation but unfortunately the high fever and the flu kept me in bed, and at this time of the season with the Qatar test approaching, our priority is to be in fit and ready for the last tests before the start of the championship. Our common goal is to be competitive, we all want to see the Repsol Honda bikes fighting at the front every Sunday. We all worked hard during the winter: Honda improved all aspects of the package and for our part we worked hard with a lot of training and with indications to the development team. We know it won't be easy, but we will give our best to fight with the fastest riders every race weekend. I would like to thank Honda. I have raced these bikes my entire career. Together we won the 125 championship, we came close to the 250 title three years in a row, and now I'm very happy to be a Factory rider for the second year. I would also like to thank Repsol for their support. The partnership with Honda is long and solid and I hope we can share a lot of successes this season. I like continuity and therefore I really appreciate Repsol's involvement. I can also boast of having a Repsol motorbike in my garage: I used it when I raced minibikes. I was just a child and I was so happy with my Repsol motorbike. Now that I've grown up I wear the same colors and I race for the Repsol Honda team. This is what I wanted and I can't wait to get to the first race in Qatar.”