Marc Marquez thinks Valentino Rossi's MotoGP revival was incredible

Marc Marquez says the way Valentino Rossi revived his MotoGP career in 2014 after several fallow seasons was an incredible achievement that he doubts he could emulate.

Rossi was second to Marquez in this year's championship, winning two races along the way in his most successful campaign since claiming the 2009 title.

His 2010 season was disrupted by a broken leg, and he then had an uncompetitive two-year stint with Ducati before a return to Yamaha that began inconclusively, but he made an emphatic return to form this season.

"It's incredible," said Marquez of Rossi's 2014 resurgence.

"At 35 years old it's one thing, but for me the most important is that after two years at Ducati that were not so good, he came back to Yamaha and last year was not so good, but this year showed how strong he is as a rider.

"When you pass three or four years without such good results, it's difficult to come back. And he's come back really strongly.

"In Malaysia, with 35 degrees heat, he was pushing me until the last three laps.

"I respect him a lot, I'll always say it. I'd like to be like him in the future, but it will be really difficult."

Rossi's Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo said he was also taken aback by how the Italian had responded to his tough years, and particularly to being outpaced in their intra-team battle in 2013.

"Knowing that when you have a strong team-mate, that he's faster than you, it's very difficult to keep believing very strongly in yourself and trying to beat this guy," said Lorenzo.

"Some guys in the past when their team-mate was faster, they got worse and worse.

"Valentino was the opposite. He became better and better, and now for me it's very, very difficult to beat him - he's maybe too strong! I'd like him to be a little bit less strong."

Lorenzo added that Rossi's work rate in 2014 as he tried to revitalise his career had been extraordinary.

"After three years that weren't so good, especially the two years at Ducati, he came back so strong and improved his riding - working more, both physically and also in the pit, working for many hours trying to improve his bike and the settings," he said.

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Successful surgery for Pedrosa in Madrid

Dani Pedrosa underwent surgery on Friday morning in Madrid to solve his arm pump problem.

Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa underwent surgery this morning in Madrid, performed by Dr. Angel Villamor – orthopaedic surgeon and Medical Director of iQtra Medicina Avanzada. The surgery, aimed to fix Dani’s problematic arm pump, took just over 2 hours with Dr. Villamor confident of its success.

During today’s surgery, Dr. Villamor completely removed the layer of fascia –  the casing around the muscle that gives it form and shape – which is causing problems for Dani.

It is expected that Dani will be discharged from the hospital in a few hours, after confirming that his post-operative evolution is positive. He will visit Dr. Villamor regularly in the coming weeks for check ups and then begin a custom physiotherapy program. A recovery time of 4 to 6 weeks is expected, however his return to racing won’t be confirmed until Dr. Villamor can ascertain the success of the surgery.

Dr. Angel Villamor:
“The surgery was complicated and aggressive using a microsurgery technique and microscopic lens. It lasted two hours, and was done under a local anaesthetic. We examined the muscle fascia, which were hypertrophied and had to be opened up and released. The muscle fascia has been dissected and removed from the forearm. This increased volume engorged the muscle within the inelastic fascia resulting in increased pressure within the compartment, and causing a painful condition of oxygen deprivation – thus causing intense pain in the forearm which collapsed after exercising during riding. We will now monitor Dani over the next few weeks to measure the success of this surgery.”

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Honda opted against Stoner replacing injured MotoGP rider Pedrosa

Honda and Casey Stoner discussed the two-time MotoGP champion replacing the injured Dani Pedrosa, but the downside of a short-term comeback outweighed the positives.

Stoner won titles in 2007 with Ducati and 2011 with Honda before retiring from MotoGP at the end of 2012, aged 27.

While he hasn't raced on two-wheels since, the Australian has remained one of the Japanese manufacturer's test riders and will contest July's Suzuka 8 Hours.

Pedrosa is set to miss at least the next two races after undergoing arm surgery in Madrid on Friday, with HRC tester and 2009 250cc champion Hiroshi Aoyama to stand in.

Stoner tweeted on Friday that "it would have been an honour" to replace Pedrosa, but team manager Livio Suppo told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport it was never a realistic proposition.

"Yes, we have talked about it," he said of potentially using Stoner.

"There were some pros, but more cons, so we decided it would be better to leave it. People don't realise how high is the level [of competition]. Having won a lot doesn't mean one is immediately quick on his return.

"Casey doesn't know the upcoming two tracks, and in the last two years he has only run for four days with this bike.

"I understand a return may spark people's imagination, everyone would have liked it, but what if he wasn't quick? What would people have said and written then?"

Suppo highlighted the tough comebacks endured by Michael Schumacher in Formula 1, and more recently Stoner's countryman, Troy Bayliss in World Superbikes.

A three-time WSBK champion, Bayliss recorded a best result of ninth last month in a two-event cameo, after six seasons away.

"Casey is Casey, but do we really think he may trouble Marc [Marquez] these days?" he said.

"Troy, too, was convinced he was going to [the WSBK round in] Thailand to win. When I heard he was returning I sent him a text message and he replied 'Death before dishonour'.

"Riders are a bit crazy sometimes, but in the end I think who was left more disappointed was himself.

"Another example is Schumacher: he finished his career at Ferrari with a spectacular recovery in Brazil, while on his return with Mercedes he struggled to get one podium.

"At this time it's better to stay out of trouble for no reason."

Suppo did, though, leave the door ajar for Stoner to appear in MotoGP this season, if he's sufficiently motivated and prepared.

"If he seriously wants to return, he must prepare," he said.

"Entering a one-off race would be more of a disadvantage, for us and for him, with the added risk of getting hurt. And anyway, I keep on believing that he doesn't want to race full time.

"A wild card entry at the end of the season? He can ask us and we'll think about it."

Translation by Michele Lostia

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Pedrosa Blog: "Thank you all for your support!"

Dani Pedrosa talks about the outcome of his recent arm-pump surgery in the latest blog for his Repsol Honda Team.

Hey everybody.

I’d like to begin this week’s post by thanking all of you who have supported me all the way. I feel overwhelmed by all the affection that I’ve received. I’ve been rereading all your comments on the blog lately and I want you to know that I’m thankful from the bottom of my heart for all the encouragement.

Last week I told you how we had to make a decision and, in the end, we thought it was best for me to have the operation. Luckily, the operation went well and now it’s time to rest and attend the check ups. I’ll hope to have a smooth recovery and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Again, my thanks to all of you.

 
Question of the week

Yesterday I was at the motorcycle exhibition in Barcelona. I loved seeing your picture among the great riders. Because you’re great, and remember that you never ride alone. My question is: What do you feel when you’re on the bike? (Question from Laura26)

Hey Laura26.

Explaining to you what I feel when I’m on the bike is very complicated because there are so many different situations. In general, I can tell you that it’s almost always enjoyable, but at the same time you’re focused and you can’t make any mistakes. What I can tell you is that riding in a MotoGP bike is one of the best feelings that a motorcycle rider can have.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Dani.

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Sambangi Pulau Dewata, Marquez-Pedrosa Bikin Fans Histeris

Pada acara 'Fans Time & Dinner', Marquez dan Pedrosa menerima tantangan untuk menari Kecak dan berbicara dalam bahasa Indonesia.

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Pertama kalinya dalam sejarah, Repsol Honda Team sebagai peserta ajang balap MotoGP meluncurkan secara langsung tim balapnya di Tanah Air. Hal ini dilakukan sebagai bentuk apresiasi terhadap besarnya semangat MotoGP di negeri ini.

"Tim Repsol Honda memilih Indonesia karena mengetahui penggemar MotoGP di negeri ini yang luar biasa. Kami menawarkan Bali sebagai lokasi karena ‎kami ingin membuat Pulau Dewata semakin mendunia sebagai tujuan wisata," ujar Margono Tanuwijaya, Marketing Director PT Astra Honda Motor.

Peluncuran tim balap Repsol Honda pun dihadiri oleh seluruh jajaran beserta kedua pembalap andalannya yakni Dani Pedrosa dan Marc Marquez.
   
Selama di Bali, Pedrosa dan Marquez menikmati indahnya pantai dan beraktivitas bersama para pembalap muda binaan AHM. Di sore hari, kedua pembalap asal negeri matador tersebut juga menyempatkan bertemu dan bermain dengan para penggemarnya dalam acara Fans Time & Dinner.

Selanjutnya Marc Marquez menghibur fans dengan tarian Kecak...

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Marquez Senang Bisa Lampaui Rekor Stoner

Marquez berhasil mematahkan rekor lap tercepat milik Stoner.

Liputan6.com, Doha - Juara bertahan MotoGP, Marc Marquez, berhasil mengukir rekor lap tercepat di Sirkuit Losail, Qatar, dengan torehan waktu 1:55.153. Sebelumnya, rekor tersebut dipegang oleh Casey Stoner dengan catatan 1:55.153 pada tahun 2008 lalu.

Meski demikian, pebalap asal Spanyol tersebut harus puas berada di belakang Andrea Dovizioso yang mengukir catatan 1:54.907 di sesi kedua latihan pramusim ini. Kemudian di posisi ketiga ada rekan satu tim Dovizioso di Ducati, Andrea Iannone, dengan 1:55.104.

"Saya senang bahwa kami bisa meningkatkan lap tercepat. Tetapi yang lebih penting kecepatan bagi keseluruhan tim merupakan hal yang terpenting," ucap Marquez dikutip dari situs resmi MotoGP.

Baby Alien juga mengungkapkan ada sedikit perubahan dalam tunggangannya RC213V. Sehingga bisa memacu lebih kencang saat memulai kompetisi MotoGP musim ini.

"Kami sudah mendapat kepercayaan bagian shok depan dengan perubahan settingan geometri. Dan kami sudah menemukan kendala yang ada di sirkuit ini," ujarnya.

"Besok kami akan melanjutkan program kami, dengan fokus pada bagian belakang untuk melihat apakah kita dapat menemukan lebih banyak grip, namun secara keseluruhan sejauh ini udah baik dan saya merasa percaya diri," tambahnya

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Rider MotoGP Ini Dukung McLaren Juara F1

Pembalap Honda MotoGP, Marc Marquez berpose usai memastikan gelar juara dunia MotoGP 2014 di Sirkuit Motegi, Jepang, (12/10/2014). (AFP PHOTO/Toshifumi Kitamura)

Liputan6.com, Madrid - Juara dunia MotoGP tahun lalu, Marc Marquez, ternyata cukup mengikuti perkembangan ajang balap lainnya, Formula One. Sebagai rider Repsol Honda, Marquez, dia mendukung McLaren Honda untuk bisa sukses di Formula One musim ini. 

McLaren Honda mengawali musim ini dengan performa kurang mengesankan, karena tak menghasilkan poin di Grand Prix Australia. Namun, menurut rider asal Spanyol ini, proyek baru yang tengah dibangun oleh McLaren dan Honda akan bagus di masa depan.     

Seperti diketahui, sesungguhnya Fernando Alonso dan Jenson Button yang mengisi dua slot pembalap untuk McLaren Honda. Namun, kecelakaan yang dialami Alonso saat tes pramusim membuat posisinya untuk sementara digantikan oleh Kevin Magnussen. 

"Pada akhirnya, saya percaya kepada mereka. Honda tetaplah Honda, dan secara logika, proyek baru seperti itu butuh proses yang tak sebentar," kata Marquez, seperti dilansir Marca, Sabtu 21 Maret 2015. 

"Saya pikir F1 adalah proyek yang bisa bagus untuk kami. Teknologi yang biasa digunakan dalam Formula One, mungkin suatu hari dapat kami di MotoGP," lanjutnya.  

Terakhir kali Honda meraih juara dunia Formula One terjadi ketika Ayrton Senna memenanginya pada tahun 1991. Sementara itu, untuk balapan MotoGP 2015 sendiri baru akan berlangsung pada 29 Maret 2015 di Sirkuit Losail, Qatar.

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