Alberto Puig comments on the news that has gone somewhat unnoticed, but is undoubtedly one of the headlines of the year. Repsol officially announced the end of its long collaboration with Honda last Sunday, just an hour after Marc Marquez's second consecutive victory with the Gresini team at the Misano circuit.
In a very brief statement, Repsol said : " Repsol has decided not to renew the current sponsorship contract with Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in the MotoGP World Championship, which ends on December 31 this year.. "This partnership, which dates back to 1995, has marked the history of MotoGP with legendary riders such as Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, and of course Marc Marquez, who have worn the Repsol colours during their multiple victories ».
Although the news did not come as a surprise, it marks a major turning point for Honda. The departure of Marc Marquez has already been a major blow for the Japanese firm, both economically and sportingly, leading to the loss of support such as Red Bull and, from now on, Repsol. The logo of the Spanish oil multinational, which accompanied Honda for nearly three decades, has gradually decreased in visibility this season, with a 2024 fairing where the logos of Honda now take a more important place.
Alberto Puig: “ On Honda's side, we are satisfied with everything we have achieved. »
Alberto puig, the team manager of Repsol Honda Team, reacted to this separation during the last tests of Misano. " Both companies have done a great job. It has been a great alliance of almost 30 years, with many titles won and grid dominance. Honda has built very good bikes for Repsol, demonstrating its potential. We are happy with everything we have achieved together ", said Puig, insisting on mutual respect between the two entities.
Without wanting to go into the reasons for this divorce, the team manager of Repsol Honda Team is limited to saying that " Like everything in this life, there are things that sometimes have an end. There has always been great respect between the two companies.. And they are both very grateful for the efforts they have put in during this long journey. ", also stressing that " On Honda's side, we are satisfied with everything we have achieved. We can only thank them, we are sure that the victories and exploits we have achieved together will remain in the history of motorcycling ».
For the moment, Honda has not revealed who its new main sponsor in MotoGP could be. If no major company comes forward to replace Repsol, Honda could end up with bikes sporting only the traditional red, white and blue colours of HRC, as is currently the case for his team in World Superbike.
