The Circuit Ricardo Tormo will host the ultimate round of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship this weekend, which will also see the partnership between Tech3 KTM Factory Racing and both, Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci coming to an end. Therefore, motivation is even higher on each side to conclude the year on a high note.
For Lecuona, the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana is his home round, which makes the final round even more special for him, as friends and family will watch be with him during his farewell weekend. Following two crashes in a row, that haven’t been put down to own mistakes, Petrucci is likewise eager to show his potential aboard the KTM RC16 one more time and to leave the premier class for the present with the deserved result.
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Iker Lecuona
Championship: 19th
Points: 38
"I just want to enjoy the whole weekend with my family, my friends and all the spectators coming from Valencia, which is my home. So, it’s a very special Grand Prix for me. Obviously, I like the track very much, it’s my home. Last year I couldn’t race there, so I will try my best to do well this weekend!"
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Danilo Petrucci
Championship: 21st
Points: 37
"After two very unlucky rounds, we arrive at my last race in MotoGP this week. I’m disappointed about how these two past races went. But we are in a good form. Fortunately, Valencia is one of my favorite circuits, so I will try to enjoy riding there, like I did in Portimao and to make one of the best results of the season, which we really need and deserve after we have been in such a great shape these last to events."
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Hervé Poncharal
Team Manager
"Although it looks like it was yesterday we were in Doha for the start of the year, I have to tell all of you, that Valencia is coming and this is going to be the last round of the 2021 season for the Tech3 KTM Factory Racing team. This has been a hectic season. Clearly, with some good moments shared together but also with a lot of disappointments. I have to say, it was a tough year. The last race, that we just finished, didn’t bring us any more happiness; two riders in a decent position, that did not finish. I’m a bit sad and tired of this situation.”
“We’ve got one more, but only one more round to do and I hope this will bring us a little bit of positive feelings and smiles on our faces. We know it’s going to be the last race also for our two riders, Danilo and Iker and we would like to share something nice, positive and exciting together before everybody follows their different paths and destinies.”
“Valencia is always exciting, not just because it’s the last round. It’s a bit of an indoor circuit. From what I heard, there will be a lot of crowd around the circuit to cheer the riders. I believe our bike is working quite well there and it’s up to us to find the right setting and to have our riders in a positive mood. So, just a few days of travelling in between Portugal and Valencia and on Friday morning we start FP1 of our last round in 2021."
