The new Castrol Honda World Superbike was revealed today.
Riders Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus were present to take the covers off this stunning machine.
The Ten Kate team are hoping last year’s fourth place man Rea can improve on his positioning and that his wrist and shoulder, injured in a crash at Imola last year, don’t prevent him showing his best.
Xaus meanwhile joins from BMW and some say he has a lot to prove within the championship as a whole.
Carlo Fiorani – racing operations manager, Honda Motor Europe:
“We are absolutely thrilled that Castrol has shown this level of faith in Honda and its World Superbike championship team. We are really looking forward to the 2011 season and to achieving even more wins under this famous racing banner. It’s great to have an such an iconic motorsport brand as title sponsor for the team and, personally, I think the Castrol Honda CBR1000RR race machine looks absolutely fantastic!”
Ronald ten Kate – manager, Castrol Honda World Superbike Team:
“When our world championship racing adventure was first beginning, many years ago now, Castrol Honda was the one team in the paddock which everyone looked up to, whose professional and performance standards we all wanted to achieve. It is an honour for us now to be racing under this famous and historically successful banner and we are privileged to be following in the footsteps of the team we admired so much in the past. You can be sure that everyone in the Ten Kate Racing organisation – riders, mechanics, and all the workshop staff – will give 100% commitment to this really exciting new phase of our World Superbike campaign.
Jonathan Rea - #4:
“One of my main inspirations for racing was watching Castrol Honda’s Colin Edwards battle Troy Bayliss for the World Superbike championship in that epic season in 2002. It’s a real honour for me to be racing under those same famous colours for the 2011 season and I’ll be trying my hardest to recreate what Colin did for the Castrol Honda team. I think the bike looks fantastic and I know the Ten Kate guys back at the workshop have been working really hard on its technical development since last season finished so now I just can’t wait to get started.”
Ruben Xaus - #111:
“After many years of racing at world championship level it is very nice and important for me to be part of a big project like the new Castrol Honda team. The biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world is joining together with one of the biggest lubricants companies in the world and supporting the Ten Kate team, which has had a lot of success with many world championship titles. All together it’s a big and really exciting mixture and I will give my talent and every effort to help Castrol and the Honda CBR1000RR become a regular winning partnership in the 2011 championship.”
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