Moto GP 2013 - Honda vs. Yamaha

The 2013 Moto GP season was expected to be an interesting one, as it marked the return of Valentino Rossi to Yamaha, where he had won numerous championships in the past. However, things have not been easy for him, as he has been given a tough time by team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and the Honda riders as well. A total of 12 races have been completed thus far and it is quite clear that the real battle for the constructor’s championship is between Honda and Yamaha, as both teams are currently leading the points table, with the latter on top. The different between them is just 26 points, which means that the situation will remain tough until the final round of the season in Valencia. The first race of the season took place in Qatar, which gave an impression that Yamaha were going to be dominant throughout the year. Both their drivers Lorenzo and Rossi finished first and second respectively with the Honda duo way off the pace. However, this was just the result of the opening race and Honda were not going to sit back and allow their main rivals to continue winning races comfortably. The team bounced back strongly, winning the next three rounds with ease. Although Lorenzo managed to give a tough time to others in terms of low fuel runs, he lacked the speed to do the job on race day.

Just as things seemed to be slipping out of the hands of Yamaha, the Japanese team came back strongly in Italy with their second win of the season. This was not enough for them, as they carried on with the winning momentum in the next couple of rounds as well. Rossi also joined the action by winning his first race of the championship in 2013. After the race in Netherlands, things looked quite close between the top-two Japanese constructors and no one could really predict what was going to happen in the future. This was when debutant rider Marc Márquez showed the world what he was capable of achieving, as he won four consecutive events on his Honda, leaving rest of the competitors way behind in the standings. The Spanish rider could not have asked for a better start to his Moto GP career, as he is in a position to clinch his maiden title straightaway. He started back by racing the 125cc class in 2008 and struggled to make an impact in his first couple of seasons. Despite that, he did not give up and managed to win his first championship in the 125cc class in 2010. He was quite dominant that year, winning 10 out of the total 17 rounds. This gave Márquez an entry into Moto2, where he impressed one and all with a runner up position during his debut season. He followed that up with a title victory in 2012 and was given an opportunity to test Honda after the end of the 2012 Moto GP season. Since the Spaniard was so much impressive, he was given an opportunity to partner Daniel Pedrosa at Honda for the 2013 Moto GP championship. Despite that, no one could have imagined that he would be in a title winning position after the end of a dozen events. Things are not yet certain for Márquez, as he will have to be consistent throughout the remaining half of the season. During the previous round in Great Britain, Lorenzo fought his way back to the top, which means that the season is not over by any means yet.

If Yamaha can develop strongly to challenge Honda in the final six rounds of the 2013 season, things will really become interesting. It seems that both the constructor’s and drivers’ championship will be determined after the conclusion of the final race of the season in Valencia. The next few events hold a lot of importance for both the Japanese motorbike manufacturers. They are technically strong and have got highly skilled bike riders, who are normally known for their costumers about bikes and other accessories like helmets and gloves etc. Such accessories can be found at RiderWear. which will make the situation even more fascinating for the fans. It will be great for Márquez, if he manages to win for Honda in his debut Moto GP season whereas the seasoned riders will be looking to prevent him from doing so.

One special thing about this season is that all three title contenders Márquez, Pedrosa and Lorenzo are from Spain, so it will be their home race in Valencia. Regardless of which driver wins in the end, the Spanish fans will be delighted overall, as it will be a win-win situation for them. Nevertheless, one should not rule out Rossi, who is one of the greatest champions of all time. He is currently fourth in the standings and does not seem to have a chance of winning another title.

Despite that, the Italian rider has got an outside chance of spoiling the party for the Spanish trio. He will need to win almost every race from now onwards in order to achieve that feat, but only time will tell whether it is going to be a Yamaha or a Honda rider on top in the end.

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