Fresh from a fifth one-two finish of the season in Malaysia last Sunday, Honda’s racing heroes get straight back to business this weekend in Australia, for the second of three successive flyaway races as a vintage season of MotoGP racing draws towards its finale.

Repsol Honda RC213V rider Marc Marquez has the chance of tying up a classic debut-season World Championship at the recently resurfaced Phillip Island circuit south of Melbourne. With a significant points lead over nearest rival Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), a seventh win of his remarkable year would secure the crown, as long as Lorenzo finished lower than second.

Team-mate Dani Pedrosa also has a title target, after a clear and dominant third win of the season at Sepang on Sunday saw his season regain momentum. The older Repsol Honda RC213V rider had lost ground two weeks earlier at Aragon, where he fell innocent victim to a freak accident, crashing out of a race he had high hopes of winning. His victory at Sepang saw him close significantly to within 11 points of Lorenzo, who finished third. With three races remaining and a maximum of 75 points available, there is now a tantalisingly strong chance of a Honda one-two in the championship.

The season so far has seen contrasting fortunes for established rivals Pedrosa and Lorenzo and best-ever class rookie Marquez, who joined the premier class having won a dominant Moto2 title in 2012.

The older riders have each suffered injury problems that cost them valuable races, and obliged each to fight back while still recuperating.

Marquez has bounced back unhurt from crashes, won second time out in the class, and has finished on the rostrum at every race except one – Mugello, where he crashed out while lying second. On course to become the youngest-ever premier-class champion, his debut has been sensational, adapting at once to the full-factory prototype RC213V, and bringing an aggressive new force to the front of the battle.

The 20-year-old Spaniard has won six of 16 races so far this year, including a historic four in a row as his rivals fought injury. He returns for his sixth visit to the classic Australian circuit where he has scored one victory and two podium finishes. He won the 125 event in 2010, and was third in Moto2 for the past two years.

Team-mate Pedrosa approaches the Australian race with a single aim: to add more victories and continue to regain ground after a difficult season. The 28-year-old Spaniard won twice early in the series, and was leading the World Championship when misfortune struck at round eight in Germany. He broke his collarbone during practice, missing that race and struggling on through the next rounds as he gradually regained full fitness.

Tests prior to the Aragon race solved set-up issues that had also hindered his progress, but early in that race misfortune struck again, when a minor strike from behind by his team-mate severed a crucial connecting wire to the control electronics, precipitating a crash just moments later.

At Sepang Pedrosa dominated free practice and the race, proving the value of the set-up improvements as well as his return to full strength. Pedrosa also has a Phillip Island winner’s trophy in his cabinet, in the 250 class in 2005, the year of his second consecutive World Championship in the class. He was on the rostrum again in the MotoGP class, finishing third in 2009.

Sepang saw former 125cc World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Team FUN&GO Gresini RC213V) take over as next-best Honda rider, moving past non-starter Stefan Bradl into sixth overall after a fighting fifth place at the Malaysian round. The Spanish rider has finished out of the top five only twice in the last eight races, and took 125cc victory in Australia in 2006. Bautista has a special role in the Honda ranks, race-testing Showa suspension and Nissin brakes. In the latter part of this season, he and his Italy-based team have made strong progress in finding the right settings and balance to make the most of this exclusive equipment.

Bradl hit misfortune at Sepang. The German LCR Honda RC213V rider had earlier claimed pole position and second place at July’s US GP, and was set to consolidate his sixth place overall after a pair of strong fifth-place finishes at the last two rounds. A minor spill in final free practice at the Malaysian track had serious consequences. His right foot was caught in artificial turf lining the corner, and he broke his ankle. The official diagnosis was a transversal fracture of the right malleolus bone. Following surgery on Saturday night in Kuala Lumpur he has been undergoing physiotherapy on the injury, but it is too soon to know if he will be able to race in Australia.

Australian Bryan Staring (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) rides a CBR1000RR-powered prototype in the CRT ranks, and is a GP first-timer, with the task of learning new circuits as well as adapting to the new machine. Whilst Staring had previously raced at a few of the tracks on the GP calendar in another class, this is the first track of the season where he has extensive circuit experience, and he aims to use that to add to his points score in his first season.

The dramatic seaside Phillip Island circuit has hosted the Australian GP 18 times, with Honda victorious on 11 of those occasions – most recently for the last two years in succession with Australian hero Casey Stoner.

The classic layout covers 2.764 miles (4.448 km) through a variety of mainly fast bends. Popular with the riders and fans but prone to bouts of squally weather, it offers a stern challenge. As well as the daunting first bend (named Doohan Corner after Honda’s five-time World Champion) and the often crucial hard-braking for Honda Hairpin, the track is famous for the final set of fast left-handers. Taken at increasing speed these lead onto Gardner Straight, and are the scene of regular dramatic last-lap battles.

The first Australian GP was in 1989 at the circuit south of Melbourne, won by Honda’s Wayne Gardner. In 1991 it moved for six years to Sydney’s Eastern Creek circuit, returning to its original home in 1997.



Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez says:

“It was a good weekend in Malaysia and we took some very important championship points. Now, without any time to rest, we head to Australia for the next race and we need to maintain the same direction and mentality as it’s working for us at the moment. Phillip Island will be important for the championship as there are only three races to go and every point makes a difference, but we will try to approach it as we do every race weekend, work hard from the beginning and keep our concentration.”

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says:

“I’m very happy with my performance in Malaysia and the whole team did a great job. I’ve had two days of rest after the race and now we head to Phillip Island and will look to finish these three remaining races as strong as possible. The track itself is a lot of fun – the layout makes for an interesting race – and I’m also excited to test the new asphalt. I’ve had mixed results there in the past but I’m looking forward to step up a gear and enjoy the track!”

GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says:

“We were able to continue our good recent form at Sepang and it was just a shame about a small brake problem that meant the result couldn’t have been even better. The work we are doing with Showa and Nissin is moving forward in the best possible way and our confidence is building as a result. I am really happy, satisfied with the job we’re doing and looking forward to Phillip Island. It is the circuit where I won the 125cc World Championship and I had a good race last season; it’s a circuit I love and I want to keep our high level of performance up. We are up to sixth in the championship now with a chance to consolidate, hopefully with another exciting race in the front pack. We need to make the most of the work we have done recently at Phillip Island and hopefully we can be competitive from Friday.”

LCR Honda rider Stefan Bradl says:

“The operation I had on Saturday night in Kuala Lumpur went well and I have to thank my physiotherapists for their great work since then. But we will have to wait and see if I am fit to ride at Phillip Island. We will sit down with the MotoGP medical team on Thursday, which should allow us to form a much clearer prognosis. Of course, I hope to be able to ride. Phillip Island is one of the greatest tracks on the calendar, with many fantastic and fast corners. I really enjoy it!”

GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Bryan Staring says:

“Finally we go to Phillip Island, a circuit that holds special memories for me because I have won here many times. I really want a good result in my home race to put the Sepang weekend behind us. We just couldn’t get comfortable with the bike in Malaysia but a strong performance at Phillip Island would be a nice way to set us up for the last couple of races of the season.”

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