Today Repsol Honda’s world champion Marc Marquez and teammate Dani Pedrosa presented their new look for 2015 on the tropical island of Bali. Both drivers were very happy to be tackling their schedules this week ahead of the first test of the year at Sepang.
I’m looking forward to being back with my crew and seeing how the new bike performs after the Valencia test
Marc Marquez
For 2015, the legendary bike now offers an exciting new graphic thanks to the new, strengthened team partnership with the Austrian-based energy drink manufacturer Red Bull. After a well-deserved winter break, both riders looked refreshed and excited for the start of the season.
Shuhei Nakamoto, HRC Executive Vice President, was in Bali with team principal Livio Suppo to introduce the drivers ahead of the first test in Sepang, which is due to begin in just three days on February 4th in Sepang, Malaysia.
Teammates who really want to get back on their machines after the winter break
Marquez can’t wait to get back on his bike and be ready to defend the championship title. Then he said: “It’s been a long and busy winter break and now I’m really looking forward to the start of the season! It is great to be able to present our new motorcycles in Indonesia together with our partner Astra Honda. It’s a beautiful setting! It’s my first time here in Bali and it’s wonderful to see all the fans here and feel their enthusiasm for MotoGP. Tomorrow we’re going to Malaysia. I’ve been training a lot over the past month to prepare for those first two tests at Sepang. I look forward to being back with my crew and seeing how the new bike works after the Valencia test! “
Repeating his teammates’ comments, Pedrosa said: “It was really nice and something different to have our team presentation here in Bali, so thanks to Astra Honda! It always surprises me how passionate the fans are for our sport in this part of the world. I had a good winter with a mix of relaxation and training and now I am ready and highly motivated to get back on my bike in Sepang in a few days! “
HRC Vice President Nakamoto is looking forward to getting back on the track after the winter preparations. He said: “We are very grateful to Astra Honda for hosting our 2015 team presentation here on the beautiful island of Bali, and thank Repsol, Red Bull and all of our partners and sponsors for their continued support in 2015 and beyond. It’s nice to see Marc and Dani in a positive and relaxed mood after the winter break and to be ready to get back on their bikes next week in Sepang. We hope it will be a very productive test so that we can get the season off to the best possible start in Sepang. “
Team boss Livio Suppo was very optimistic about the coming season and said: “We can’t wait to start the season! After a very successful 2014, we are very motivated to start the championship and even if we know if it is not easy to win more we will do our best to do it! It’s great to be here in Bali as Indonesia is a country where MotoGP has a huge number of fans, but unfortunately we don’t race here. We are happy to introduce our Repsol Honda Team here and hope to get a GP in the future! “