The main character of the evening was joined on the stage by Enrique Locutura, Repsol YPF General Manager in Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, and Daniel Scioli, the Argentinean Vice- president. Sebastián Porto, who has been actively participating in the World Championship since 1994, is the most experienced rider of the class and has raced already 156 GP.

And if Porto is one of the most experienced riders in active in the championship, his team mate Shuhei Aoyama is one of the less experienced, because the young 21-year-old rider will be racing for the first time the whole World Championship. His challenge for this first season will be learning all the circuits during the weekend and trying to stay among the top ten at the end of every race.

"Our preseason has not been really good, but I fully trust in the Honda technicians and I'm sure that we're going to change the situation soon," commented Sebastian Porto. "I haven't got the least doubt; we'll find the way to be back on the top spots. I'm used to these situations because there are always problems to overcome in the world of sports and competition. I have set my mind on moving on and I'm sure that, together with my team, we're going to make it. Jerez is not a circuit that really fits the qualities of the Honda, but I'm optimistic and hope to have a good start of the 2006 season this weekend."

"I'm looking forward to the races, but I know that this is going to be a difficult year for me, because I hardly know any of the circuits we are going to visit," said Shuhei Aoyama. "Jerez, for example, is a very nice circuit but also complicated and difficult. The three tests days two weeks ago were quite good but I would have liked to be more competitive. I hope to make a step forward this weekend and respond with a good result for the team and all those who support me."

And in the minor class, fifteen year old Oxfordshire schoolboy Bradley Smith will be in charge of defending the colours of the Repsol Honda Team 125cc. Bradley Smith will make his grand prix debut on Sunday in the highly competitive 125cc class.

Last year the former moto-cross rider was a member of the MotoGP Academy and earned a grand prix ride after some superb performances in the CEV Spanish 125cc Championship. Smith won the final three rounds of the Championship to finish runner-up by a single point. He has received tremendous backing from Honda and Repsol as he commences a grand prix career masterminded by former grand prix star Alberto Puig.

"It's all happened so fast but I will take it in my stride and not get carried away. I will face the challenge with an open mind. This will be a massive learning year for me and it will be almost be like going back to step one. It's been quite nice going back to school and some normality after the winter testing. School have told me they are happy for me to go and do it, although I don't think they fully understand everything about it," concluded Bradley Smith.