Valencia [Spain], November 23 : After 11 years, 169 Grand Prix starts, 59 wins, 64 poles, 101 podiums and six World Championships - Marc Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team prepare to begin new chapters, aiming to end their era-defining relationship on a high note.
Another season of the MotoGP World Championship is set to come to a close at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, the battle for the MotoGP crown going down to the wire. But for the Repsol Honda Team, attentions lie elsewhere as the 2023 season comes to a close and so too does Marc Marquez's time with the team.
The combination of the #93 and the Repsol Honda Team RC213V has been a force to be reckoned with from their very first race together, debuting on the podium and claiming victory in just the second race. Since then, Marquez has continued to re-write the history books and broken countless records on his way to six World Championships and 59 Grand Prix victories. The most successful premier class Honda rider of all, it will be an emotional weekend for all involved but the aim is still the same: keep focused and deliver the best possible result until crossing the line on Sunday. With two premier class wins and having never finished a race off the podium at the four-kilometre track, it's a fitting circuit for a final race.
After building his speed and feeling over the course of the Qatar GP weekend, Joan Mir is hoping to hit the ground running in Valencia. Not only the scene of his debut as a Repsol Honda Team rider at the end of 2022, but Valencia is also where the #36 took his debut MotoGP win and MotoGP World Championship title back in 2020. Fond memories and historic speed which should boost Mir to see out the season with another progressive result. There's no rest for the Repsol Honda Team rider as testing for the 2024 season begins on Tuesday at the same circuit, an important first taste of the future.
Lights are set to go out at 15:00 Local Time on Sunday, November 26 for the final race of the season. 27-laps of Marc Marquez in the iconic Repsol Honda Team colours.
"We have finally arrived at the end of the year. It has been a year full of ups and downs, emotions and difficult decisions. Now we come to Valencia looking to end the season in the best way possible, it's a track I like and have good memories at. Of course, it's not just any end to a season, it will be a very emotional one as an incredible chapter in my sporting career, and in my life, comes to a close. Together with the Repsol Honda Team we have made an incredible story over the last 11 years, the good times and the bad have helped me become who I am and this weekend will be about celebrating what we've done and enjoying our time together until the very last moments. Let's make every lap count," said Honda rider Marc Marquez.
"A long season comes to an end in Valencia, a day of rest and then the next season will start. In Qatar we were able to make an improvement on Sunday which helped my confidence, so the aim is to keep ongoing in this direction in the final race. The track holds good memories for me, not only was it the scene of my first MotoGP win but also where I took the title in 2020. Conditions this late in the year will be a bit tricky there, especially in the morning so we will need to be careful. We keep on working," said Honda rider Joan Mir.
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