[kropotkin thinks...] - Honda To Pen New Deals With Repsol, Pedrosa And Dovizioso At

[Ninjette Newsbot]

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Now that the MotoGP paddock is assembling once again at Brno for the Czech Grand Prix, some movement is starting to return to the rider market. We reported yesterday that both Alvaro Bautista and Hector Barbera are likely to announce the deals they have penned, with Suzuki and Aspar Ducati respectively, but today, news of much bigger fish has started to emerge.

The website of the Spanish magazine Solo Moto is reporting that Repsol and Honda will be finalizing renewal of their sponsorship contract this weekend. HRC president Tetsuo Suzuki is said to be on his way to Brno to put his signature to the deal, which Solo Moto's Manuel Pecino believes will be a two-year extension of their current contract. The Spanish petroleum giant has been working with the factory Honda squad since 1995, and are so closely associated that they have become almost synonymous.

The deal would put an end to much speculation. Earlier in the year, Repsol was rumored to be looking to take its sponsorship elsewhere, after Honda failed to delivery an instantly quick bike for the third year in a row. Repsol really wants a Spanish world champion, but since the switch to 800cc, Honda have struggled to deliver. The last few races have shown a marked improvement, however, and Repsol and Honda have been getting closer to a contract extension for the past couple of months, to be concluded at Brno.

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