MotoGP News
Date: 12/July/2012
Honda have confirmed the signing of Spanish teenager Marc Marquez to replace retiring MotoGP title holder Casey Stoner.
A joint announcement from HRC revealed a two-year Repsol Honda deal for Marquez and a two-year contract extension for countryman Dani Pedrosa.
Rising star Marquez, 19, is a former 125cc world Champion and currently leads the Moto2 World Championship. His success and long Repsol links meant he was always destined for the official Honda MotoGP team, although the 2013 ride only became technically possible following the recent removal of a ban on rookie riders joining a factory team.
Marquez said: “To reach MotoGP next season with Repsol Honda is a dream come true and I want to thank HRC for their confidence in me. I am very proud to be a part of the big Honda family for the future and I don’t want to forget all the people have helped me since I began to ride motorbikes. Now my focus is on Moto2 where my team and I are working very hard and we are excited to achieve our goal, which is to win the World Championship in 2012.”
Marquez thus follows in the footsteps of Pedrosa, who moved straight to Repsol Honda from the then 250cc class for 2006. Pedrosa has won races every year, and been the top Honda rider in all but two seasons.
Unfortunately for Pedrosa, those seasons - 2006 and 2011 - saw his team-mates (Nicky Hayden and then Stoner) win the MotoGP title. Pedrosa’s 16 wins make him the most successful rider without a premier-class crown, and there had been speculation earlier in the year that Marquez could replace him.
That speculation eased when Stoner made his shock retirement announcement, but Pedrosa’s place remained under threat until title leader Jorge Lorenzo turned down an offer from Honda and re-signed for Yamaha.
From then on, Honda’s priority was to retain Pedrosa, with the Valentino Rossi rumours appearing to have held no substance.
Pedrosa said: "It's been a very long relationship with Honda and I had a strong desire to stay here. The fight for the Championship this year is still open and the next two seasons will be very interesting for me.
“My whole career has been linked to Honda, since I entered into the World Championship in 125cc, then in 250cc and since 2006 in MotoGP. I'm perhaps one of the riders with the longest history with Honda, which makes me feel very proud.
“I want to thank HRC once again for their support; I'm sure that we have great things to do together".
Pedrosa took his first race win of the year last weekend in Germany, when Stoner crashed out while challenging for his fourth victory of the season at the penultimate turn.
Stoner’s mistake means Pedrosa is now second in the championship, 14 points behind Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, with Stoner 20-points from the top.
The 18-round 2012 season reaches its halfway mark at Mugello in Italy this weekend.
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