Mugello the next target for the Repsol Honda Team, MotoGP 2021 Round 6, Gran Premio d’Italia

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Italy, May 26, 2021 (GNI): The MotoGP World Championship returns to the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello for round six of the 2021 season, Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro ready for their next challenges.

With a wet and wild French GP behind them, the Repsol Honda Team have regrouped and are ready to do it all again at the Italian Grand Prix. Having been unable to race in Mugello in 2020 due to the global pandemic, 2021 marks a welcome return to the iconic Italian circuit. 2019 produced a thrilling battle with Marc Marquez taking second by just 0.043s after an intense race with Petrucci and Dovizioso.

Marc Marquez arrives in Italy buoyed by his showing in France, leading the race and lapping faster than the leaders despite suffering a fall. Although his efforts were ultimately unrewarded, the eight-time World Champion showed he has lost none of his champion’s spirit during his recovery. But Marquez remains realistic about his physical condition and understands it will be another weekend of steady work. Mugello was the scene of Marquez’s first Grand Prix win back in 2010 in the 125cc class, joined on the podium by 2021 team-mate Pol Espargaro.

Continually showing flashes of speed throughout the 2021 season, Pol Espargaro is aiming to put everything together in Mugello and deliver on his potential. Impressive dry-weather speed was left to count for little on Sunday in France, but the Repsol Honda Team rider remains as determined and focused as ever heading to Italy. Confirming his dry-weather feeling from Le Mans on the Honda RC213V around the 5.2km long circuit will be Espargaro’s first objective for the weekend.

The Italian GP starts another double-header weekend with the Catalan Grand Prix following the very next weekend, an intense period for riders and teams but an exciting one for fans. Action in Italy begins at 09:55 Local Time on Friday, May 28 with Free Practice 1.

Marc Marquez

“I have had a good week to continue with the recovery process. We showed our potential in the wet in France and this weekend in Mugello we have to work well from Friday morning to try to be consistent and find good pace. I understand my physical limitations and know that it will not be the easiest of weekends to be close to the front in the dry. Now we arrive at two back-to-back races, which is a first for me this year. It will be more physically demanding, but we can manage it.”

Pol Espargaro

“After not visiting the track in 2020 it will be nice to return to Mugello this year, riding a MotoGP bike down the straight there is something really unique. We will have to see how our bike is behaving there as it’s a very different circuit to where we have been. There will be a lot of competition this weekend, but if we work well throughout practice, I think we can be there and fighting. Then we have another race in Barcelona straight after, it’s going to be an exciting couple of weeks”, stated in the press release.

Rider Standings

Rider Standings

Pos.	Rider	Num	Nation	Points	Team	Constructor
1	QUARTARARO FABIO	20	FRA	80	Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha
2	BAGNAIA FRANCESCO	63	ITA	79	Ducati Lenovo Team	Ducati
3	ZARCO JOHANN	5	FRA	68	Pramac Racing	Ducati
4	MILLER JACK	43	AUS	64	Ducati Lenovo Team	Ducati
5	VINALES MAVERICK	12	SPA	56	Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha
6	MIR JOAN	36	SPA	49	Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki
7	ESPARGARO ALEIX	41	SPA	35	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia
8	MORBIDELLI FRANCO	21	ITA	33	Petronas Yamaha SRT	Yamaha
9	NAKAGAMI TAKAAKI	30	JPN	28	LCR Honda	Honda
10	ESPARGARO POL	44	SPA	25	Repsol Honda Team	Honda
11	BINDER BRAD	33	RSA	24	Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	KTM
12	RINS ALEX	42	SPA	23	Team Suzuki Ecstar	Suzuki
13	BASTIANINI ENEA	23	ITA	20	Avintia Esponsorama	Ducati
14	MARQUEZ ALEX	73	SPA	18	LCR Honda	Honda
15	MARTIN JORGE	89	SPA	17	Pramac Racing	Ducati
16	PETRUCCI DANILO	9	ITA	16	Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing	KTM
17	MARQUEZ MARC	93	SPA	16	Repsol Honda Team	Honda
18	BRADL STEFAN	6	GER	11	Team HRC	Honda
19	ROSSI VALENTINO	46	ITA	9	Petronas Yamaha SRT	Yamaha
20	MARINI LUCA	10	ITA	9	SKY VR46 Avintia	Ducati
21	OLIVEIRA MIGUEL	88	POR	9	Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	KTM
22	LECUONA IKER	27	SPA	8	Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing	KTM
23	SAVADORI LORENZO	32	ITA	2	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia
24	RABAT TITO	53	SPA	1	Esponsorama Racing	Ducati

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