Bou secures clean sweep of victories in Japan, with Marcelli on the podium
MotegiRepsol Honda HRC conclude a fantastic weekend with four wins for Bou and a third-place finish for Marcelli on the second day in Japan.
The first round of the 2026 TrialGP World Championship season concluded with great results for Repsol Honda HRC. The team once again dominated at Motegi thanks to Toni Bou's double victory and Gabriel Marcelli's podium finish in the overall standings for the Japanese round.
Bou achieved a clean sweep of victories from the weekend. From the start of Race 1 on Sunday, it was clear how the experience gained by the riders from the previous day had raised the difficulty of the sections. The Repsol Honda HRC rider was constantly battling for podium positions in a very close race, with five riders fighting for the win. Ultimately, Bou secured a victory that earned him 20 points in the World Championship standings.
In Race 2, he started last for the Final after setting the fastest time in Super Pole. He finished third there, with five penalty points, to qualify for the Super Final. In that decisive round, the 39-time champion incurred only five penalty points, taking a win that makes him the series leader with 80 points.
Marcelli also had a brilliant performance on the second day of competition. He led much of Race 1 after stringing together five consecutive cleans, setting the pace on his Montesa Cota 4RT. However, the high level of competition and a mistake on Zone 11 kept him out of the podium positions, as he ultimately finished fourth.
In Race 2, Marcelli contested the win alongside Jaime Busto and his teammate. In the Final, he made only one mistake in one of the most challenging sections of the course, which allowed him to qualify for the Super Final. In it, the Repsol Honda rider secured second place. Thanks to this result, Marcelli climbed to third for the day.
Bou leaves Japan as the World Championship leader, while Gabriel Marcelli sits in fourth place with 56 points, just two behind third-placed Matteo Grattarola. The next round for the Repsol Honda HRC riders will be in Andorra from June 13th-14th.
"This weekend was important because it was in Japan, Honda's home country, and we achieved the best possible result, so the overall assessment is very positive. The team did a spectacular job this weekend. At the beginning of the day, I felt nervous because everything was so close, but in the end, I was able to take all three top spots. I'm very happy and proud of the team, so in Andorra, we'll look to continue in the same vein."
"This weekend was important because it was in Japan, Honda's home country, and we achieved the best possible result, so the overall assessment is very positive. The team did a spectacular job this weekend. At the beginning of the day, I felt nervous because everything was so close, but in the end, I was able to take all three top spots. I'm very happy and proud of the team, so in Andorra, we'll look to continue in the same vein."
"I'm not happy with how the first round of the season went, and I have a lot of work to do before the next race. Today we managed to finish third and get on the podium, which is positive. I think I felt much more comfortable with my riding, but things didn't quite go as planned. We're fourth in the standings, just two points behind Matteo, and we hope to show our potential in Andorra. I want to thank Honda, HRC, and the team for their great work this weekend."
"I'm not happy with how the first round of the season went, and I have a lot of work to do before the next race. Today we managed to finish third and get on the podium, which is positive. I think I felt much more comfortable with my riding, but things didn't quite go as planned. We're fourth in the standings, just two points behind Matteo, and we hope to show our potential in Andorra. I want to thank Honda, HRC, and the team for their great work this weekend."
“To finish the weekend in Japan with this result is very important for the whole team. Toni has once again demonstrated an incredible level over the two days, managing each race very well and achieving four wins out of four. I’m also very happy for Gabri, because today he took a step forward, especially in Race 2, fighting until the very end and managing to get on the podium for the day. I want to thank Honda, HRC, and the entire team; everyone has worked very hard to achieve these results and start the season in the best possible way.”
“To finish the weekend in Japan with this result is very important for the whole team. Toni has once again demonstrated an incredible level over the two days, managing each race very well and achieving four wins out of four. I’m also very happy for Gabri, because today he took a step forward, especially in Race 2, fighting until the very end and managing to get on the podium for the day. I want to thank Honda, HRC, and the entire team; everyone has worked very hard to achieve these results and start the season in the best possible way.”
