Repsol Honda Team aren’t living their best season start in their history: Jorge Lorenzo will miss Sepang Test due to left scaphoid fracture and everyone in the team hopes that the rider from Mallorca will recover in time for Qatar Test (scheduled from 23rd to 25th February). On the other side, Marc Márquez has been recovering from last December’s shoulder surgery and he won’t be in the best shape for Sepang Test, as the Catalan spent a long time without training.
However, Repsol Honda Team Manager Alberto Puig reminds that injuries are part of this sport: “We all know that things can happen at any time, as in the case of Jorge Lorenzo. Our plan has been affected by Jorge’s injury, since he won’t be at Sepang, and Marc is still recovering, but we’ll continue developing our bike. Now, the teams facing Sepang Test in the best conditions are Ducati and Yamaha“, said Puig during the team presentation in Madrid. The first test days he had on RC213V were positive, but Lorenzo was still recovering from the injuries suffered in Aragon and Thailand and so he couldn’t give his best: “He couldn’t do a precise evaluation on the bike, but he really enjoyed it and this is what matters. He had good feelings on the bike and we must take it into consideration“. On the positive side, Lorenzo got injured in winter and not during the season. Now, Repsol Honda Team hope that both Lorenzo amd Márquez will be fit for Qatar Test. Meanwhile, HRC Test Rider Stefan Bradl will replace Lorenzo at Sepang: “We need to follow a plan and Honda will do what’s necessary to develop the bike“.
MotoGP fans are curious to see Lorenzo and Márquez working together and they wonder if there’ll be some tension between the two Spaniards. Everyone in the team, riders included, consider it as possible. “We’re not playing chess, we want to have competitive riders and provide a positive image of the brand. It’s risky, but our riders are mature enough to know how to manage it. Each of them fights for his goals and they know they’re part of a team, so we’ll do our best to win with both. Our rivals expect us to make mistakes, but hopefully everything will be fine“. Lorenzo and Márquez will get the same treatment: “We have no preference, they’re on the same level. We have two riders and we’ll try to win the championship with both of them“.
