Spanish petroleum giant Repsol has decided to back the 2011 125cc Rookie of the Year, Maverick Viñales in this season’s new Moto3 class.

The announcement was made ahead of the official Moto2 and Moto3 three day test that kicked off today at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, and the Spanish teenager will be joining other Repsol sponsored riders like Miguel Oliveira and Alex Rins (who is currently injured) in Moto3, Marc Marquez in Moto2, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa in MotoGP.

Viñales finished third in his debut season winning four races (Le Mans, Assen, Sepang and Valencia) and five other podiums while he was riding for the Blusens by Paris Hilton Team.

This season he’ll will be riding a Honda FTR M312 under the Avintia Competición (BQR) Racing banner, and it is almost certain that he’ll switch to Moto2 in 2013.

“I am very excited to be riding for a sponsor like Repsol this season, as Repsol have been a force behind a great number of victories in the World Championship,” said Vinales. “Many great riders have received their support and I am honoured to be joining this elite group. The big three current Repsol riders - Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Márquez - have won titles, and this is my aim for 2012. I can only hope to follow the path that other Repsol riders have established in the World Championship and take many wins this year. Now it is time for me to test in Valencia and we will be trying out many of the improvements that have been made over the winter”.

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Andrea Dovizioso’s situation in Honda HRC was a paradox. He had a signed contract with an option for the 2011 season, if he finished 5th or better, then Honda even before knowing the standings went and signed both Dani Pedrosa (we knew he wasn’t going to be leaving) and Casey Stoner, putting the team in a fine contractual mess.

The mess was, could the team support three factory riders and if Repsol could and would sponsor a three rider effort, but Honda has set everything to rest by announcing today that they’ll be keeping all three riders (Dovizioso will not be shuffled off to Gresini) and that Respol has not only upped their backing money, but also agreed to a further two year sponsorship extension with the team.

Shades of 1995 …

Continue reading: Much ado about nothing, Honda confirms all three factory riders and Repsol continues as sponsor

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Sacrilege! Repsol, the Spanish oil giant is using the image of the Iwo Jima Memorial of the raising of the flag, in this case a checkered flag. to follow their Repsol riders on Twitter.

If you’re interested in what’s happening in the world of Respsol riders, and want to know more, you can find it here.

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When Jaume Girò, one of Repsol’s top managers, who recently left the Spanish oil company to head for the Caixa, one of Spain’s most important banks, Dani Pedrosa lost one of his most staunchest and oldest allys that he had in Repsol. Girò was almost a sponsor within a sponsor, he was the one that insisted on Repsol backing Pedrosa and he was the one took Pedrosa away from Telefonica back in 2005.

There was some discontent in Honda last year, bouncing around both Spain and Japan, regarding Pedrosa’s continuing and disappointing results and an ever increasing hostility towards Pedrosa and his manager/svengali Alberto Puig, it was Jaume Girò who intervened and protected the duo.

Now that Girò is no longer present, there has been some nervousness on the duo’s part because Giro’s departure has come at the wrong time. Pedrosa’s contract is up at the end of the year and their have been certain rumors running in the paddock that since Girò left, other Repsol managers have been trying to contact Jorge Lorenzo and bring him into HRC. Lorenzo is a top rider, he’s Spanish just like Pedrosa and certainly has better communicative and media qualities than Dani has.

Continue reading: Repsol: We'll support Pedrosa for as long as it takes

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