Repsol Honda Trial Team return to Japan after three years away
MotegiToni Bou comes into the Japanese event joint leader, followed by teammate Gabriel Marcelli in third.
After three years absence for the event on the TrialGP World Championship calendar, the Repsol Honda Trial Team return to Motegi, Japan, for the third round of the season.
Toni Bou, the reigning champion, is joint leader of the overall standings, tied on 74 points with Jaime Busto after finishing in first and second at the round held in Gouveia, Portugal. Bou, who won the last two events held in Japan in 2019, will attempt to repeat these results and become outright leader.
For Gabriel Marcelli it will be the first time he has ridden in Japan with Repsol Honda. Third overall in the TrialGP World Championship thanks to three podiums from the four rounds held so far, Marcelli will fight to earn a maiden win and finish in the Top 3 in both races.
Both the technical and administrative checks will take place on Friday, as well as visits to the zones and the training sessions. The first race of the third round of the 2023 TrialGP Championship will begin on Saturday at 9am local time.
We are looking forward to the two races in Japan. We sent the bike there a week ago and I am happy with the work that we've done, because we have been able to train on different terrains. The team have worked very well and we are ready. After spending three years without racing in Japan, we can't wait to return to the home of Honda. It's always a race where we have a lot of support from the fans and we are very motivated. We also have a bit more pressure, because we want to get the best results possible there, but we will use this pressure to fight for the win.
Right now we are in a good position overall, in third, so the idea in Japan is to continue in the same vein, earning podiums and wins. It won't be easy because our rivals are pushing hard, but our goal is to win. Motegi is the home race for the team, so I think we will have great support from the Japanese fans, who encourage us a lot. Racing in Japan is extra motivation and the special warmth of the fans is going to help us achieve the best results.
In all the races we are always very motivated, but in this case going to my home country and to the home of Honda means extra motivation and also more pressure for the whole team. I am sure that we will get a lot of support from the fans in Japan, which will also give us more motivation and strength. Our goal doesn't change, it's the same in every race: To be at the top of the standings with both riders. In Japan the whole team will look to achieve the best results on the two days of competition with the first and second position.