HRC boss hails team effort after world title triumph

HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto praised the efforts of Honda technical staff and factory riders Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli after Casey Stoner handed the Japanese manufacturer its first MotoGP title since 2006 last weekend.

Stoner’s cruise to a fifth straight win in his home race at Phillip Island on Sunday ended Honda’s barren run in MotoGP and gave HRC its first success in the 800cc era.

The Aussie’s arrival at Honda after a four-year stint with Ducati triggered a remarkable transformation in fortunes for HRC, with the 26-year-old winning nine times on the factory RC212V in 16 races.

Amidst jubilant celebrations in Australia, Nakamoto didn’t let the contribution of Pedrosa and Dovizioso in particular go unnoticed and he told MCN: “Last year we had a chance too. At the beginning of the season we struggled a little bit but once we found a development direction for the machine, Dani was very strong and without the Motegi accident, maybe he could fight for the title even with last year’s machine.

“This means that if we could find a good direction at the beginning of the season then Dani could have had the possibility to win the championship last year. We believe that our machine and team is competitive enough already last year, so when Casey joined all riders were pushing each other and the lap time was made because all riders were pushing. Today’s success is not only the hardware but also the rider and team. This is down to the work of everybody, including Dani, Andrea and Marco. If we only had Casey then maybe it is a little bit more difficult to win the championship.”

For reaction to Stoner’s MotoGP title success including the thoughts of Mick Doohan, Wayne Rainey and Wayne Gardner, see today’s issue of MCN.