2022 season ends in disappointment for the Repsol Honda Team
Pol Espargaro bids farewell to the Repsol Honda Team as he and Marc Marquez crash out from the Valencia GP.
A promising weekend in Valencia saw the Repsol Honda Team walk away unrewarded as both riders fell. Marc Marquez had made a promising start to the race, holding firm inside the leading group and preparing for the final laps. But a fall at Turn 8 a couple of laps later would end the #93’s hopes of finishing the season on a high. Focusing on the positives of the weekend, Marquez demonstrated that he has the speed, rhythm and feeling to be consistently at the front.
Similarly, Pol Espargaro fell early in the race after making up several positions off the line. He was unhurt in the fall, but bitterly disappointed to not end the year in a better way. HRC and the Repsol Honda Team would like to again thank Pol Espargaro for his efforts during the past two seasons. The combination achieved two podium finishes, including Espargaro’s best premier class result to date, and pole position for the 2021 British Grand Prix.
The longest season in MotoGP history comes to an end, 20 races spanning the globe and over 150 sessions. It has been another complicated year for HRC and the Repsol Honda Team with just two podium finishes. As one chapter closes another begins and preparations for the 2023 campaign are already underway. Action continues on Tuesday with the post-season Valencia Test.
Marc Marquez
“Overall, looking at the big picture, I am happy with the weekend because we showed that the level is there, the rhythm is there, the feeling is there. I understand how I need to be fast and I was happy, but today wasn’t the day. Yesterday I said the target was the podium but from the start I didn’t feel right. I saw that the podium was leaving so I went all or nothing. The speed was there and we know what the issue was today in the race. I am going to work hard this winter to be as prepared and as ready as possible but work begins even sooner on Tuesday. I am looking forward to trying Honda’s first step of 2023.”
Pol Espargaro
“Today wasn’t the race we wanted. In the slipstream into the first corner I was going wide a lot and one time I went quite wide, made up the time but then when I went wide a second time I couldn’t save it. It’s not what I wanted, it’s a pity. I want to again say thank you to all of my mechanics and the staff around who have stayed alongside me and supported me no matter what. They’ve been behind me through the good and the bad and I really appreciate this a lot. It’s the end of our journey together but the opportunity to race in these colours is something I will not forget.”
Valencia Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rins Alex | 42 | SPA | 25 | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki | 41'22.250 |
| 2 | Binder Brad | 33 | RSA | 20 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 0.396 |
| 3 | Martin Jorge | 89 | SPA | 16 | Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1.059 |
| 4 | Quartararo Fabio | 20 | FRA | 13 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 1.911 |
| 5 | Oliveira Miguel | 88 | POR | 11 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 7.122 |
| 6 | Mir Joan | 36 | SPA | 10 | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki | 7.735 |
| 7 | Marini Luca | 10 | ITA | 9 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | 8.524 |
| 8 | Bastianini Enea | 23 | ITA | 8 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | 12.038 |
| 9 | Bagnaia Francesco | 62 | ITA | 7 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | 14.441 |
| 10 | Morbidelli Franco | 21 | ITA | 6 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 14.676 |
| 11 | Bezzecchi Marco | 73 | ITA | 5 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | 17.655 |
| 12 | Fernandez Raul | SPA | 4 | 24.870 | |||
| 13 | Gardner Remy | AUS | 3 | 26.546 | |||
| 14 | Nakagami Takaaki | 30 | JPN | 2 | LCR Honda | Honda | 26.610 |
| 15 | Di Giannantonio Fabio | 49 | ITA | 1 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | 31.819 |
| 16 | Crutchlow Cal | 35 | GBR | 0 | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | 1'28.870 |
| 17 | Marquez Alex | 73 | SPA | 0 | LCR Honda | Honda | +1 Lap |
| 18 | Miller Jack | 43 | AUS | DNF | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | DNF |
| 19 | Zarco Johann | 5 | FRA | DNF | Pramac Racing | Ducati | DNF |
| 20 | Vinales Maverick | 12 | SPA | DNF | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | DNF |
| 21 | Marquez Marc | 93 | SPA | DNF | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | DNF |
| 22 | Espargaro Pol | 44 | SPA | DNF | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | DNF |
| 23 | Binder Darryn | 40 | RSA | DNF | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | DNF |
| 24 | Espargaro Aleix | 41 | SPA | DNF | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | DNF |
Rider standings
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bagnaia Francesco | 62 | ITA | 265 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 2 | Quartararo Fabio | 20 | FRA | 248 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha |
| 3 | Bastianini Enea | 23 | ITA | 219 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati |
| 4 | Espargaro Aleix | 41 | SPA | 212 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia |
| 5 | Miller Jack | 43 | AUS | 189 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 6 | Binder Brad | 33 | RSA | 188 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM |
| 7 | Rins Alex | 42 | SPA | 173 | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki |
| 8 | Zarco Johann | 5 | FRA | 166 | Pramac Racing | Ducati |
| 9 | Martin Jorge | 89 | SPA | 152 | Pramac Racing | Ducati |
| 10 | Oliveira Miguel | 88 | POR | 149 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM |
| 11 | Vinales Maverick | 12 | SPA | 122 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia |
| 12 | Marini Luca | 10 | ITA | 120 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati |
| 13 | Marquez Marc | 93 | SPA | 113 | Repsol Honda Team | Honda |
| 14 | Bezzecchi Marco | 73 | ITA | 111 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati |
| 15 | Mir Joan | 36 | SPA | 87 | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki |
| 16 | Espargaro Pol | 44 | SPA | 56 | Repsol Honda Team | Honda |
| 17 | Marquez Alex | 73 | SPA | 50 | LCR Honda | Honda |
| 18 | Nakagami Takaaki | 30 | JPN | 48 | LCR Honda | Honda |
| 19 | Morbidelli Franco | 21 | ITA | 42 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha |
| 20 | Di Giannantonio Fabio | 49 | ITA | 24 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati |
| 21 | Dovizioso Andrea | 4 | ITA | 15 | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha |
| 22 | Fernandez Raul | SPA | 14 | |||
| 23 | Gardner Remy | AUS | 13 | |||
| 24 | Binder Darryn | 40 | RSA | 12 | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha |
| 25 | Crutchlow Cal | 35 | GBR | 10 | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha |
| 26 | Bradl Stefan | 6 | GER | 2 | HRC Test Team | Honda |
| 27 | Pirro Michele | ITA | 0 | |||
| 28 | Savadori Lorenzo | 32 | ITA | 0 | Aprilia Racing Test Team | Aprilia |
| 29 | Nagashima Tetsuta | 45 | JPN | 0 | LCR Honda | Honda |
| 30 | Petrucci Danilo | 9 | ITA | 0 | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki |
| 31 | Watanabe Kazuki | 92 | JPN | 0 | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki |
| 32 | Tsuda Takuya | JPN | 0 |
Location Information
The Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana was completed in 1999 and held rounds of the MotoGP and Spanish Motorcycle Championships in the same year. The Cheste track has several layouts, running anti-clockwise with varying lengths. MotoGP events are held on a 4km track comprising of five right handed corners, eight… read more.
| Length | 4.005 kilometres / 2.489 miles |
| Width | 12 metres |
| Left corners | 9 |
| Right corners | 5 |
| Longest straight | 0.876 kilometres / 0.544 miles |
| Constructed | 1999 |
Circuito de la Comunidad Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, Cheste, Spain - View in Google Maps
Records
| Pole Position | 1m 28.931s (162.1km/h) Maverick Viñales (Aprilia, 2023) |
| Race Lap | 1m 30.145s (159.9km/h) Brad Binder (KTM, 2023) |
| 2023 Race Winner | Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) |
| 2023 Sprint Winner | Jorge Martin (Ducati) |
