Camel Honda Announce Riders

[f1manoz]

The Camel Honda team announced its rider line-up today for the 2005 MotoGP World Championship.

The Camel Honda team, led by former double-World Champion Sito Pons, finished third in the 2004 Team Championship and for the forthcoming season welcomes into its ranks two new riders: Brazilian Alex Barros and Australian Troy Bayliss.

With the incorporation of these two highly experienced and successful riders, the Camel Honda team will look to consolidate its position over recent years as one of the top teams in the championship and make a concerted effort to win the World Title. Both riders will be riding the yellow Camel Honda RC211Vs on Michelin tyres.

Troy Bayliss, World Superbike Champion in 2001, joins the Honda family after two years competing in the MotoGP World Championship with Ducati. The Australian from Taree has scored 4 MotoGP podium finishes in that time, although a maiden MotoGP victory has so far eluded him. His aggressive style and personable nature has made Troy an extremely popular rider both inside and outside the circuits and he enjoys a massive following around the world. Troy will be assisted by Santiago Mulero, Head Technician and Ramón Aur�*n, Telemetry Engineer.

Alex Barros makes a welcome return to the team led by Sito Pons. Alex rode for four seasons with the Honda Pons team from 1999 to 2002, during which time he won 5 GPs and scored 14 podium finishes. He is one of the most experienced riders in the paddock, with over 240 GPs to his name, and he will be looking to call upon his wealth of experience and knowledge in his quest for the 2005 World Title. Alex will continue to work alongside Ramón Forcada, his Head Technician for the 2004 season, and with whom he worked throughout his previous time with the Honda Pons team, and Lluis Lleonart, his Telemetry Engineer.

Sito Pons:
“After two highly successful seasons the Camel Honda team now moves up a gear with the incorporation of two highly gifted and experienced riders. With Alex and Troy leading the charge, I am confident that the yellow Camel Honda bikes will be constantly battling for the leading positions in every race. I would like to thank Honda, Camel, Correos and the other team sponsors for their constant support and whilst we clearly have a lot of hard work ahead of us this winter, I am confident that this exciting new project will bring much success to everyone concerned once the 2005 championship gets underway in April in Jerez.”

Roberto Zanni
(JT International – Worldwide marketing and sales Senior Vice-President)
“For the third consecutive year, the prestigious Camel brand will take part in the MotoGP World Championship. The thrilling exploits of the Camel Honda team will continue in earnest in 2005, with a brand new line-up. We welcome our two new riders, Troy Bayliss and Alex Barros, to whom I wish a season full of satisfaction and success. I would like to thank Honda for lending their support once more, and for having contributed to the continuity of our MotoGP project. I am certain that the RC211V, our team, and our riders will hold the Camel name up high next season, on the long and challenging road that is the MotoGP World Championship.”

Great news for Troy Bayliss after being unceremoniously dumped by Ducati, who he served loyally for many years. Riding a Honda next year should help Bayliss regain that consistency and confidence in his riding.

For Barros, probably a return to a team he should never really have left in the first place as he was enjoying great success with the team before his ill-fated journey to Yamaha.

[marcus]

excellent news for bayliss and great news for barros as well , i really like barros and think he is a class act (if he can stay on the thing)

I wish both of them at well for 05

[BootsOntheSide]

Hasn't Barros had his day really? He hasn't impressed in the last couple of years, and there are plenty of good young riders looking for a chance? Bayliss showed towards the end of last season that he deserves a second crack at it, but I'll be expecting resutls from him pretty quickly. This looks likely to be the weakest Honda team again though.

[marcus]

I was impressed with barros in 04.

some of his rides were excellent.

but yes his time is well past to be a world champion but I still think he can do a great job on a bike when he is totally on it.

to me I love seeing him out there and im glad i will get the chance to see him again in 05 but really beyond that probably not

[chunder]

The thing with Alex is you just know that if he can get hooked up he can win a bunch of races, he went well with Sito before, in fact better than he went anywhere else before that really. So, I think he will go well on the bikes, as for Troy, well it all depends on how well he settles in to a SPanish team as an Aussie, he can certainly ride the bike, be interesting to see his testing performances I think

[TheMan]

This looks likely to be the weakest Honda team again though. [/B][/QUOTE]

I find it hard to see how this is the weakest Honda team. Didn`t they win more races than Repsol last year (Repsol won 0) and it wasn`t Biaggi that won them all so I see them as a strong team, and with both Barros and Bayliss fighting for there careers I think they will be a force. Well done to Bayliss and hope to see his maiden GP win soon.

[mmciau]

Great news for TB.

As I observed in another thread on this particular forum, I reckon he impressed Doohan immensely at the post AGP Channel 10 discussions, and in partifcular he didn't publicly denigrate Ducati after they didn't keep him for 2005.

I'm convinced Doohan would have had a hand in his placement at a Honda-based team.

mike

[f1manoz]

An Aussie helping an Aussie? About bloody time in my opinion!

[BootsOntheSide]

Yea, sorry about saying they were the weakest Honda team in 2004 - not sure what I was thinking of there.

[alesi95]

Originally posted by marcus
I was impressed with barros in 04.

some of his rides were excellent.

I think you were the only one.

[marcus]

Probably.

Oh well no shame in admitting im a big fan of his

[SALEEN S7R]

Personally I dont think Barros did a bad job, sure he didnt do a fantastic job either but he did finish 4th overall in the standings, which is pretty damn good. Its not as though he was one of the back marker Hondas either, both Tamada and Hayden finished behind him on the Honda's. At the moment Barros reminds me a bit of Barichello in F1, fast and reliable but just not quite fast enough to take the title. He deserves his place at Honda IMO.

[gomick]

4th is pretty good and he deserves another crack - can see where people are coming from when they say he has had his time though

great for troy and us aussie fans

[BootsOntheSide]

This is certainly Barros' last chance - plenty of veterans have returned to a team with which they had success in the past, adn it's been a disaster. I hope that isn't the case with Alex though, as he's a good elder statesman for the series, and a link to the Doohan/Rainey/Schwantz era.

[TheMan]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
Personally I dont think Barros did a bad job, sure he didnt do a fantastic job either but he did finish 4th overall in the standings,

both Tamada and Hayden finished behind him on the Honda's. At the moment Barros reminds me a bit of Barichello in F1, fast and reliable but just not quite fast enough to take the title. He deserves his place at Honda IMO.

Tamada had a great year, better than Barros. Don`t forget that Tamada was plagued with mechanical problems early in the year otherwise he would have been well in front of Barros. I think Italy comes to mind whilst leading he broke down. Think it was Italy anyway. Barros is good and good enough to win races don`t get me wrong, I think and hope that he and Bayliss win races next year and really take the fight up to all of them. But in reallity, is anyone going to beat Rossi. I don`t think so.

[DavidStHubbins]

Barros sucked this year! Maybe it was the bike but he was poor. I was an admirer of him until this year. He needs to be flushed.

Hopefully Bayliss will go well though. Someone needs to lead the team in the right direction.

[N I Tram]

Barros still managed to outperform Hayden, who Honda reegard as a future champion, so it wasn't a total disaster. Good to see Alex and Max swap places though - Biaggi has much more chance of making a real challenge next year, as he's the better rider by far.

[chunder]

Only problem I see at Repsol is that both riders ride it differently, Max pushes the front Nicky is a rear wheeler i think so where are they gonna go for the setup!
I think Barros was quick this year but hasnt got the abilty to develop a bike with an engineer like a Vale or a Doohan, he just sits on it and rides it like Gardner did.
Max will develop the bike but will make it very much like the old Yam so the bits dripping down to Sete and the likes of Troy etc wil be all corner speed stuff. I hope not but that is the hOnda way isnt it
Max can be world champion but only if the bike is perfect
Also remember Barros was leading a few races last year but crashed, thought he had gone away from this problem, seemingly not

[TheMan]

Great to see Bayliss riding so well in testing. I know its only early days and anything can and will happen, but at least proves that the Ducati he had must have been a pile of s*$t.

[asha]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Hasn't Barros had his day really? He hasn't impressed in the last couple of years, and there are plenty of good young riders looking for a chance?

i'm so sick of barros (and checa), time to retire

[mmciau]

Is there any news of when Camel Honda will resume testing for 2005 and if so, does it include Philip island in Australia?