Valencia, 7 November: the 2013 MotoGP World Championship concludes this weekend with the traditional season finale in Valencia at Ricardo Tormo circuit which will determine the premier class World Champion between Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo. The LCR Honda racer Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista will enjoy their own duel on Sunday – to be the next best-placed Honda rider in the final standings. German Bradl had been ahead of his Spanish rival until an unlucky injury sustained during the Malaysian GP. Bradl missed the Malaysian and subsequent Australian races and arrives at Valencia 14 points behind Bautista. Bradl had also been showing excellent performance until that spill at Sepang. His highlight of the year so far is his first MotoGP podium at Laguna Seca, where he made history as the first German to start a premier-class race from pole position.

Stefan: “I am heading to Valencia with extra motivation after this tough period. In Japan I felt a little bit of pain during the race, when my right leg was kind of pumping the muscle, so fifth place was an extraordinary result, considering my conditions. The mobility of my ankle is better now but not yet at 100 per cent. I have continued my standard training programme since returning to Germany because I aim to finish the season with another positive result. Missing two races cost me a lot, including sixth position in the points standings. By the way, I think we have done a pretty good season, including my first podium at Laguna Seca”