MotoGP returns to Europe this weekend – and the factory Repsol Honda team is leading the way to the Jerez classic after three successive race wins and double podium finishes in the first three “flyaway” rounds in Qatar, the USA, and Argentina.

Defending World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) has scored maximum possible points in the opening rounds, with three wins from pole-position. His older team-mate Dani Pedrosa is second overall, with two second places, and one third.

The return to the Spanish riders’ home GP promises to deliver of more of the same, at an iconic event. Fans flock from far and wide, cramming the grandstands and the hillsides overlooking the circuit outside the sherry capital Jerez, scene of many classic races.

Last year the Repsol Hondas were first and second at the Andalusian circuit, in the opposite order to the first races of the current campaign. Jerez was the first of three race wins for Pedrosa, igniting his own title challenge that ended only when he became innocent victim of an on-track collision that triggered a freak accident.

This year, both factory riders return to the circuit, brimming with confidence and competitive desire, riding the clear class-leading MotoGP bike. The Honda RC213V has proved time and again to have achieved the strongest balance of awesome horsepower with civilised behaviour at the highest level of motorcycle racing.

Marquez, 21, became the youngest ever World Champion last year, still aged 20, and is setting a course to become also the second-youngest, after dominating the opening rounds. At race two, he added another lap record to his growing portfolio.

At Jerez last year he finished second to Pedrosa, after a dramatic last-corner pass on rival Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), the third man in the Spanish triumvirate. But Jerez is one of few tracks where Marquez, former 125cc and Moto2 World Champion, has yet to claim a victory, and he is eager to add it to his list this year.

He will face a strong challenge from his team-mate. Pedrosa first raced at Jerez in 2001 in the 125cc class, where he was champion in 2003. He won the 250cc crown the following two years, and moved to MotoGP in 2006. He has had his greatest success at the circuit in the premier class. He has won there twice, and finished on the podium at every other attempt, five times second and once third.

Pedrosa has a full house of podiums this year too, with one third and two second places. The last of these came last weekend at the new Argentine circuit at Termas de Rio Hondo, where he also set the new lap record in a dramatic and successful chase-down on Lorenzo in the closing laps.

The factory pair are backed by two satellite riders – both former World Champions – riding the awesome V4 Honda RC213V.

Germany’s only MotoGP rider Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) has made the better start to the 2014 season, the former Moto2 champion’s third in the premier class. He crashed out of the lead in Qatar, but made up for it in Texas and Argentina, finishing fourth and fifth.

Former 125cc champion Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Gresini Honda RC213V) has plenty to make up for, after crashing out of the first three rounds. The first of these misfortunes was at Qatar, when he was making a strong late challenge for the podium. Bautista, along with GO&FUN team-mate Scott Redding, has a special role: race-testing Showa suspension and Nissin brakes, made by Japanese companies with close associations with Honda.

Redding is one of four Open class pioneers, racing the new factory replica Honda RCV1000R machine, introduced this year for customer teams. Unlike factory bikes, those in the Open category use mandatory electronic software as well as hardware, provided by the organisers. Adapting to this is one of the most important tasks.

The 1000cc V4 Honda production-racers have made a strong start, with three of the four battling together while knocking on the door of the championship ten.

Current leader is Honda’s 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar Honda RCV1000R), with a best finish of eighth so far. The American has returned to Honda, and is rapidly coming to grips with getting the best out of the new machine.

His Drive M7 Aspar team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama managed to pip Hayden at the post in Argentina, snatching tenth place over the line in a dramatic finish. Aoyama is another former World Champion, winning the last-ever 250cc title in 2009.

Class rookie Scott Redding (GO&FUN Gresini Honda RCV1000R) has also battled with Hayden all season, with a best of seventh in Qatar, ahead of the experienced American.

Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing Honda RCV1000R) has shown improvement over the first three races, as he continues to regain full strength following major shoulder surgery last year. The Czech former Moto2 GP winner was 13th in Argentina after battling with Hayden and Aoyama, and has finished in the points at all three opening rounds.

Jerez has become the traditional first round in the European season, and the Circuito de Velocidad is a cornerstone of the MotoGP series after almost three decades of continuous use not only for GPs but also as a major test circuit. First used in 1987, it has been on the calendar ever since as host to the Spanish GP, except in 1988 when it ran under the Portuguese flag. In 2002 the layout was modified to add variety, and the paddock buildings modernised.

In that 26-year span, Honda has won the premier class 18 times, almost three times as many victories as the next-best.

Overlooked by a soaring tower named for one of the famous Jerez sherry houses and with the start-finish straight straddled by a glassed-in circular “UFO”, the very technical track is 4.423 km (2.748 miles) of almost continuous corner sets. There are five to the left and eight right-handers, and a short straight of just over 600 metres (0.38 miles). The lap finishes with a hairpin overlooked by grandstands – frequently the scene of decisive last-lap battles.

The next round is at Le Mans in France, in two weeks.



Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez says:

“Argentina was only a few days ago but we are already on our way to Spain! We had a really good weekend, taking another important 25 points, but now we go to Jerez where I know Dani and Jorge are very strong. The crowd and ambience is very special there and it gives you special motivation to perform at your maximum level. After three flyaway races it will be nice to arrive back in Europe for a few ‘normal’ races, I’ll try to relax a little and prepare myself ready for Friday’s FP1.”

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says:

“It was a good weekend in Argentina although I would have liked to be in the battle for the victory, but I really enjoyed the race and the track. Now we have no break, and next weekend we race in Jerez. This is one of my favourite circuits on the calendar, I really enjoy seeing all the fans and racing back in Spain after three long races away. As usual we will start working hard from the Friday and hope to continue with the same momentum that we found in Argentina.”

GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says:

“I really hope that the first European race can finally put an end to this bad period: the only thing we can do right now is to continue to believe in ourselves and work hard, like we have done so far, in order to try to reverse the trend.”

GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Scott Redding says:

“I’m looking forward to the first European race of the season because I like to travel on the road to the circuits and get the atmosphere. I also like Jerez, because it’s quite fast and it suits my riding style well. It’s quite a demanding track, but I also think that it’s one of the tracks that could be good for the characteristics of our bike. We are getting closer to our rivals and we want to be back on top among the Open Class Hondas: this is our target and we need to achieve it.”

LCR Honda MotoGP rider Stefan Bradl says:

“After all the travel and far-off races, it’s good to be starting up in Europe. Jerez is always a great event, with a lot of passion from the fans. The first three races have shown that I have a good pace, to run with the front group. In Argentina I went from ninth on the grid to fifth. I was strong on braking and I could fight with the other guys. I hope to do more of the same at Jerez, with an even better result.”

Drive M7 Aspar Honda rider Nicky Hayden says:

“I am really looking forward to going to Jerez this week, it’s an interesting track. You could say the season is more back to normal this weekend after a night race in Qatar, a very difficult weekend for us in Texas and a new track in Argentina. Now we go to Europe, the home of the championship, and a circuit we all know well. It’s an awesome track with an unbeatable atmosphere and most riders are fast there. I always enjoy racing at Jerez. You can’t use all of the power of a MotoGP bike in certain sections of the track but that could prove to be an advantage to us compared to the factory bikes. If we do our job right maybe we can get closer and be more competitive. Hopefully the conditions are on our side.”

Drive M7 Aspar Honda rider Hiroshi Aoyama says:

“We have had three long-haul races to kick of the season and it hasn’t been an easy start for us. A new bike, new team, a lot of work to adapt and set the bike up. The positive thing is that we have made progress every week and last Sunday we were able to score a very positive result in Argentina. Now it’s time to kick off the European part of the season and this week we go to Jerez, a circuit I love and have lots of good memories of. I am sure that the characteristics of the track can really suit our bike and even though we had a good race last time we need to keep working. The main objective for this weekend is to improve the bike in corner entry and we will try to maintain the positive trend from last week.”

Cardion AB Motoracing Honda Karel Abraham says:

“I’m really looking forward to the first European MotoGP race of the season. After couple of months of travelling we are finally heading ‘home’, where I can meet the rest of our team, my fans, friends, sponsors. And of course Jerez is very special circuit for me. I scored my very first top ten MotoGP finish here in 2011, and I like it very much because of its atmosphere. Last year I missed this race because of the collarbone fracture from Austin, so I’ll be back after two years. Since the beginning of the season we have improved the bike a lot and I’m getting more familiar with Honda race by race. Our target is to continue in the direction we set in previous race. We want to fight with the other production Hondas and stay close to the top ten.”

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