Photo: MotoGP.com
The 2013 MotoGP season kicks off this very weekend in Qatar, and it's more to this race than just the opening of the championship: this is the 10th anniversary of these races.
The official reception held on Wednesday evening at the St. Regis Hotel brought together the MotoGP creme de la creme, with Carmelo Ezpeleta and Khalifa Al Attiya as the highest ranking officials, all the riders and all the disguised tension before the race.
During a press conference before the reception, several riders have been interviewed: Pedrosa, Marquez, Bradl, Lorenzo, Rossi and Hayden, with Valentino Rossi being the target of most free questions from the press.
Marquez is still one of the favorites, but it looked like the journalists present at the conference were quite interested in Rossi's comeback, the way he gets along with the bike and his expectations.
Pedrosa and Lorenzo were asked about how does it feel having each a very strong team mate (Marquez and Rossi, respectively). They smiled and replied that he present season is not that much changed, as they've both had strong team mates during the last seasons and riding along great riders is highly motivational.
Khalifa Al Attiya, Qatar Motor and Motorcycling Federation President was offered a MotoGP Trphy replica by Ezpeleta and returned a trophy of his own. The 9 world champions from the previous years and feeder classes, Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Nicky Hayden, Álvaro Bautista, Andrea Dovizioso, Marc Márquez, Stefan Bradl and Hiroshi Aoyama presented Mr. Al Attiya a signed helmet to mark the annyversary.
The MotoGP free practice will start today at local time 19:55 (GMT +3).
During a press conference before the reception, several riders have been interviewed: Pedrosa, Marquez, Bradl, Lorenzo, Rossi and Hayden, with Valentino Rossi being the target of most free questions from the press.
Marquez is still one of the favorites, but it looked like the journalists present at the conference were quite interested in Rossi's comeback, the way he gets along with the bike and his expectations.
Pedrosa and Lorenzo were asked about how does it feel having each a very strong team mate (Marquez and Rossi, respectively). They smiled and replied that he present season is not that much changed, as they've both had strong team mates during the last seasons and riding along great riders is highly motivational.
Khalifa Al Attiya, Qatar Motor and Motorcycling Federation President was offered a MotoGP Trphy replica by Ezpeleta and returned a trophy of his own. The 9 world champions from the previous years and feeder classes, Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Nicky Hayden, Álvaro Bautista, Andrea Dovizioso, Marc Márquez, Stefan Bradl and Hiroshi Aoyama presented Mr. Al Attiya a signed helmet to mark the annyversary.
The MotoGP free practice will start today at local time 19:55 (GMT +3).
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