Both Marquez and Pedrosa positive about Puig

The positives of going from rider to Team Manager seem to be paying off for Repsol Honda

A few weeks ago, Alberto Puig was announced as the new Team Manager of the Repsol Honda Team. The former rider, who wore Honda colours for four seasons and took victory on home turf in the Spanish Grand Prix in 1995, assumed the new role for the first time at the recent Official Test at Sepang.

At a recent event in Madrid, reigning Champion Marc Marquez and teammate Dani Pedrosa spoke about the new addition to the team – with both saying Puig is a big positive following their first time working together in Malaysia.

“I’m really happy,” says Marquez. “He was a rider and his experience could be very useful in terms of the technical side. He’s someone I like to listen to. I think he can bring a lot not just to Honda, but also to the riders.”

Pedrosa was equally positive following the first test, and the ‘Little Samurai’ also used to work with Puig previously. “At the first test with him, it was really positive,” confirms Pedrosa. “Someone who was a rider – and who has so much experience – will bring positive things to the team, that’s for sure.”

It’s a more common theme than you might think within the MotoGP™ paddock; riders becoming Team Managers. With the perfect mix of experience and expertise, former riders such as Tadayuki Okada, Fausto Gresini and Gino Borsoi are just some of the names who have changed career and gone into management; following in the footsteps of trailblazers like Giacomo Agostini.