The Honda Pons team will not be participating in the forthcoming 2006 MotoGP World Championship After twenty-five successive seasons competing at the highest level in the Motorcycling World Championships, the Honda Pons team, managed by former double 250cc World Champion, Sito Pons, has announced that it will not be participating in the forthcoming 2006 MotoGP World Championship. Due to diverse circumstances at the end of the 2005 season, and after a successful partnership of three years, the team failed to renew its agreement with title partner Camel, and subsequent difficulties in securing sufficient financial support for its 2006 project have prompted the team to take the decision to pull out of competition this year, Sito Pons made the following statement, “In spite of determined efforts to maintain our team’s 2006 MotoGP project in which we have gratefully counted on the support of HRC and Honda Spain, and having taken part in recent preseason tests at Valencia and Malaysia in preparation for the season ahead, the option to continue did not in the end materialise. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to both HRC and Honda Spain for their patience and assistance, and to Carlos Checa and Casey Stoner for the trust placed in our team.” Honda Pons will now concentrate all its efforts on consolidating its MotoGP project for 2007 where it aims to return to competition with a competitive package that can fight for the World Championship Title. “Honda Pons would like to convey its gratitude to JT International for its support during the last three seasons, and to Alex Barros, Troy Bayliss, HRC, Michelin and all other partners who have collaborated with our team during the 2005 season and with whom we look forward to working again in the future. The decision to withdraw from this year’s championship has been a very difficult one to take, but our determination and competitive spirit remain unchanged and twenty-five years of success at the top level serve as a motivation to continue. Our firm intention is to return in 2007 and work is already underway on the new project”, added Sito Pons. Sito Pons, in the meantime, will continue to serve in his role as President of IRTA, the International Road Racing Teams Association, where he will be principally involved in the evolution of the MotoGP World Championship and the renewal of the agreement between IRTA and championship organisers DORNA SPORTS, S.L.