The countdown has begun, there is very little left to go until the start of the 2023 season, the MotoGP restarts this weekend from Portimao for what is the longest championship in history. Many races, a new format and high competition, for which Honda prepared during the winter, albeit with various difficulties. The season begins for the House of the golden wing in which it is called to redemption as it chases its opponents to return to the top.
Marc Márquez and Joan Mir will defend the Repsol colours, with the eight-time world champion ready to start his 11th season as a Honda rider. The Spaniard is now recovered after the injury that conditioned him for three seasons, but now he finds himself fighting with a RC213V that can’t be competitive and expectations aren’t very high in view of the Portuguese GP. In the Algarve he achieved a sixth position as his best result, but he hardly believes that he can improve this year.
Marc Marquez, Squadra Repsol Honda
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
In any case, he is ready for the challenge that awaits him in 2023: “The start of another season has arrived and there is always a feeling of excitement before racing again. We had an intense winter break in which we collected lots of data and forward looking. Now we need to start focusing on the early races and remember that racing and testing are very different. This year we have the new challenge of the Sprint on Saturday, a short and intense race which I am sure will bring the fans many emotions. I can’t wait to get back on the Honda RC213V for the eleventh season with the Repsol Honda Team”.
Marc will be joined by a new teammate and on paper the Honda line-up is one of the most successful, with nine world championships. In fact, in the Repsol box we find Joan Mir, who will make his debut this weekend with the Repsol colours. The winter tests have already given us a first taste, but now the Majorcan’s adventure really begins. In fact, Mir is making his debut on the RC213V, which he needs to familiarize himself with. He also comes at a difficult time for Honda, but he claims he has made a dream come true and is eager to get started.
Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
He won’t have to wait long, because Friday will start with the first free practice session of the Portuguese Grand Prix: “Just a few days left before my race debut with the legendary colors of the Repsol Honda Team. It’s a moment I’ve always dreamed of, to line up on the starting grid as a Repsol Honda Team rider. There is still some work to do, we still have some things to confirm and improve, but racing brings a different intensity. Let’s see what we can do in Portimao, the important thing is to continue building from the point where we finished the test and make consistent steps forward.”
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