VOLUME 58 ISSUE 19 MAY 11, 2021 P21
Quintanilla Signs With Honda
P
ablo Quintanilla, a two-time FIM
Cross-Country Rallies World Cham-
pion and runner-up in the 2020 Dakar
Rally, has joined the Monster Energy
Honda Team for the 2021 season and
the 2022 Dakar Rally.
Quintanilla, 34, arrives with a fine
track record in his Cross-Country Ral-
lies racing career, which began with
Honda back in 2013. He went on to
claim numerous triumphs, the most
outstanding of which include two FIM
World Championship titles in 2016 and
2017, runner-up spot in the 2020 Dakar
Rally and third place in 2016.
The Chilean rider will make his Mon-
ster Energy Honda Team debut aboard
the Honda CRF450 Rally next week
for the Andalucia Rally, which will take
place on Spanish terrain in the regions
of Cadiz and Seville from May 11-15.
"I am very happy and motivated to
join the Monster Energy Honda Team,"
Quintanilla said. "For me it is a great
honor to be part of this tremendous
team that has shown such great devel-
opment and enormous professionalism
over recent years. My intention is to be
able to convey my knowledge and my
experience to the team and I hope to
get great results."
Ruben Faria, the team's general
manager, said, "In recent years we
have had a great team, with riders able
to win races. They have shown it: Ricky
[Brabec] won in 2020 and Kevin [Ben-
evides] in 2021. Benavides left the team
after winning the Dakar and we were left
with one rider less, so we had to look
for a top rider to maintain the high level
of Monster Energy Honda Team. This
is what we have done, and that is why
I am very pleased to have Pablo Quin-
tanilla aboard. I've known Pablo since I
was a rider, and as well as being a great
person, I'm sure that he will be a very
strong element who will reinforce the
great atmosphere in the team."
CN
Two-time FIM Cross-
Country Rallies World
Champion Pablo
Quintanilla makes
the switch from
Husqvarna to Honda
for the 2021 season.
