The fifteenth round of the MotoGP World Championship represents a bittersweet moment of inflection for Team GO & FUN Honda Gresini, two years on from the tragic and untimely death of Marco Simoncelli at Sepang. The Malaysian Grand Prix is an opportunity to remember Marco with happiness and also to pay tribute to him with a performance befitting of a great champion. Alvaro Bautista's recent form suggests that he can be a frontrunner this weekend, the Spaniard having fought to the line for a podium position in the last race at Aragon. Thanks to the tireless hard work being put in by Showa and Nissin, Bautista has been able to take huge strides in the second half of the season and he is determined to maintain this trend right up until the final race. Bryan Staring was not particularly pleased with how his weekend went at Aragon so this is a vital opportunity to turn things around before the series moves on to his home race, the Australian Grand Prix, in just a week's time.
Alvaro Bautista
“Aragon confirmed the good form we have been in during the second half of the season and proved that Misano was nothing but a blip. At Alcañiz we got back to the level we had been showing in previous races and we took another step forward with the material we introduced in the test on the Monday after Misano. We fought all race for a spot on the podium and it was a real shame to lose touch with Valentino on the last lap because of the battle with Bradl. Anyway, we achieved our goal of being the first non-factory bike across the line and that is a source of great satisfaction to us. We are really improving and we want to confirm our progress again at Sepang by reducing the gap to the winner. It won't be easy because everybody is starting out with the data from preseason testing but I think we are at a relative advantage because our bike has improved a lot since then. I want to enjoy myself again like I have in the last few races. I have been working hard on my physical condition in readiness for the heat and humidity of this race and it is important to know when to use your energy and when to save it. The track is always fantastic and definitely amongst my favourites, with lots of different kinds of corners, hard braking zones, fast direction changes and some spectacular sliding. It is a wide track with some different lines and lots of opportunities to pass on the brakes. The weather tends to be changeable from the morning to the afternoon and the pace tends to drop as the day progresses because of the intense heat.”
Bryan Staring
“Finally we are on the way home and I am looking forward to racing in Malaysia this weekend. I wasn't too happy with the result at Aragon but it is important we make up for it this weekend in Malaysia and give ourselves a good platform to work from in my home Grand Prix the following weekend. I like Sepang and I want to give it my best shot before heading on to Australia. My feeling with the bike has improved and there is no reason why we can't have a good race on Sunday. The heat will play a big part I am sure but I have done my best to prepare for it.”
Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release
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