Steeped in success: a look back at Pons’ career

As Pons Racing gets set to step away from Grand Prix racing at the end of 2023, we look back at the success Sito Pons has had as both a rider and team manager

Ahead of the Catalan GP, Pons Racing confirmed the 2023 season would be their last in the World Championship.

Fronted by two-time World Champion Sito Pons, it’s a set-up that has enjoyed plenty of success. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights:

Pons the rider – ’88 & 89 250cc World Champion

Pons raced on the Grand Prix World Championship scene between 1981 and 1991, with his first win coming at the 1984 Spanish Grand Prix. Between 1986 and 1989, Pons didn’t finish lower than third in the overall standings and became 250cc World Champion in 1988 and 1989.

Sito Pons, 1989
Sito Pons, 1989
Sito Pons, Brno, 1989
Sito Pons, Brno, 1989

Pons Racing’s first win

The 1992 Dutch GP saw Pons claim his first win as a team manager thanks to Alex Criville’s efforts. In total, Pons won eight 500cc races as team manager between Criville’s famous win and 2000.

2001 – Capirossi and Barros claim P3 & P4 in the Championship

Who can forget the 2000 and 2001 Emerson Honda Pons and West Honda Pons liveries at the beginning of the millennium? Those two years saw Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros claim 18 podiums and four wins, with the former picking up P3 in the standings in 2001.

Loris Capirossi, 2001
Loris Capirossi, 2001
Loris Capirossi, Alex Barros, Max Biaggi, 2001
Loris Capirossi, Alex Barros, Max Biaggi, 2001

2003-2004 – 18 podiums and two wins for Biaggi

An Italian icon joined Pons’ outfit for the 2003 and 2004 MotoGP™ seasons as Max Biaggi enjoyed a successful period on the iconic yellow-liveried Hondas.

Max Biaggi, 2003
Max Biaggi, 2003

2010 to present day – a top Moto2™ team

After stepping away from racing at the end of 2005, Pons Racing returned in 2010 at the beginning of the Moto2™ era. Throughout those years, Pons has helped numerous stars propel themselves into MotoGP™, including Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), 2013 Moto2™ World Champion Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3).

Pol Espargaro, Sito Pons, 2013
Pol Espargaro, Sito Pons, 2013
Sito Pons, Maverick Viñales, 2014
Sito Pons, Maverick Viñales, 2014
Alex Rins, Sito Pons, 2015
Alex Rins, Sito Pons, 2015
Fabio Quartararo, 2017
Fabio Quartararo, 2017

2020-2021 – two-time MotoE™ title winner

After enjoying so much success in Moto2™, Pons Racing then bagged two MotoE™ titles with Jordi Torres in 2020 and 2021.

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