The longest MotoGP World Championship, and one of the most tumultuous for the Repsol Honda Team, has just left a race. Valencia the scene for a final goodbye to Pol Espargaro.
As is tradition, the Circuit Ricardo Tormo will host the final round of the MotoGP World Championship. A world apart from the hot and humid Sepang International Circuit with its two long straights, the Spanish circuit is characterized by an incredibly tight layout and often cooler conditions. With a difficult weekend in Sepang behind them, the Repsol Honda Team are hoping the change in circumstances will better suit the 2022 Honda RC213V to end the season on a positive note.
Pol Espargaro has classically gone well at Valencia, scoring his first premier class podium at the track in dramatic fashion in 2018. It will be an emotional weekend for the #44 and the Repsol Honda Team as they line up together for the final time. 2022 started in fine form for the combination with Espargaro looking strong and confident during pre-season testing and battling for victory in Qatar. Valencia offers a final chance to recapture this early year form.
Espargaro’s time with the Repsol Honda Team saw him take a pole position and two podiums, including his best premier class result to date – a second place finish at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Marc Marquez lines up for the final race of the year with improvements and data on his mind. The flyaways produced a variety of emotions and results and the #93 is keen to maximize the final race weekend of the year. Marquez last raced in Valencia in 2019 when he claimed victory to top off a record-breaking season, scoring 420 points from 19 races. This is one of six premier class podium finishes that Marquez has achieved in Valencia. As important as the race weekend will be the post-season test on Tuesday. Now just a single day, Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team will use all the available time to define the final details for their 2023 preparations.