Repsol Honda Team ready for the newest challenge as MotoGP arrives in India

As India becomes the latest nation to host a MotoGP World Championship round with Round 13 set to take place here at the Buddh International Circuit, the Repsol Honda Team pairing of Marc Marquez and Joan Mir excited to meet their Indian fans in person.
The 4.96 kilometers of the Buddh International Circuit look set to produce another thrilling round of racing, a mix of long straights, tight hairpins and technical sections offering up a variety of overtaking opportunities.
Marquez has always been a quick study and will be aiming to get up to speed and understand the 13 corners of Buddh as soon as possible.
He arrives on the back of a progressive weekend in Italy which culminated in seventh place, continuing his steady progress across the year.
With a new track to learn, the work of the weekend will need to be balanced between learning and continuing to work on making improvements to the Honda RC213V.
“I am really excited to meet all of the fans in India. It’s always a nice moment when we bring MotoGP to a new country, new people and new fans to share our sport and our passion. We will need to work a lot to understand everything about the track and about our own situation with the bike. The objective is to put together another weekend like Misano, build over each day and have a good pair of races. Let’s get ready for India and to meet everyone!”
On the other side of the garage, Mir is hoping that a new venue will bring new fortunes after a tricky end to the San Marino GP.
Despite the end, Mir was able to make steps forward in improving his feeling with the Honda RC213V.
Martin, Bagnaia arrive
Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Racing (Ducati) and reigning MotoGP world champion Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia have arrived in India and experienced the Buddh International Circuit and its vibrant paddock ahead of the first-ever Grand Prix of India.
The riders including Aleix Espargaro and Fabio Di Giannantonio are also gearing up for an exciting journey around Delhi, where they will also immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Indian culture and heritage.
Ducati Lenovo Team – Francesco Bagnaia (Italy)
Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia arrived in MotoGP in 2019 having claimed the 2018 Moto2 title. A debut MotoGP win came at Aragon in 2021 but a title charge ultimately slipped through his fingers.
However, 2022 was a different story. Despite a slow start which saw him sit 91 points behind Quartararo, Bagnaia produced a stellar second half of 2022 to ultimately put him in a position to clinch the crown at the season finale.
J Prima Pramac Racing (Ducati) -Jorge Martin(Spain)
Nicknamed the ‘Martinator’, Jorge Martin rose through Moto3 – a title he won in 2018 – and Moto2 as one of the brightest young talents in the sport. Martin claimed a podium in just his second MotoGP race and despite a huge crash in Portugal that saw him miss four races, the Spaniard claimed a debut win in the same year.
2022 was a winless year, but 2023 has seen Martin become a title contender again as he aims to chase down Ducati rival Bagnaia for the crown. (IANS)