The launch of the Repsol Honda RC213V - Photo Credit: Repsol Honda
Honda Racing Corporation's Executive Vice President Shuhei Nakamoto has promised that his team will not be taking their feet off the gas as they prepare to defend their MotoGP World Championships. The Japanese outfit claimed the manufacturer's crown with Casey Stoner and the Repsol Honda team clinching the Rider's and Constructor's crowns respectively.
And speaking at the launch of the 1000cc RC213V, Nakamoto has stressed that nothing less will be seen as satisfactory in 2012.
“We start this new 2012 season with a clear target: to work stronger than ever to defend our MotoGP World titles in this new 1000cc category. We finished the 800cc era winning the triple crown and we will fight to win this again in 2012. We fully trust in our riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa to deliver this big challenge and we will give them all our technical and human support. The RC213V is an evolution of the last version of the RC212V based on the same concept. The machines we have brought here to Sepang are basically the same machines we tested in Valencia back in November with only a few differences. In fact, Casey and Dani will have one machine the same as Valencia, and the other one with a slightly different chassis, based on their own requests.”
This week, the MotoGP fraternity are testing at Sepang in Malaysia, the first time they've visited the circuit since Marco Simoncelli's tragic death there in October. Nakamoto has spoken of the emotional tribute the team paid upon arrival.
“This is the first time back to Sepang since we lost Marco Simoncelli last October, on Sunday we visited the scene of his accident and laid some flowers and said a final ‘Ciao’ to him. I believe by starting this season strong will be a fitting tribute to Marco”.
