Alberto Puig

Alberto Puig (born 16 January 1967) is a Spanish former Grand Prix solo motorcycle professional road racer who is team manager for the Repsol Honda team in MotoGP.

Puig, sitting on his Honda at the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix

Alberto Puig
Puig in the Repsol Honda garage during 2013
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1967-01-16) 16 January 1967 (age 57) Barcelona, Spain
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1987 – 1997 First race 1987 250cc Dutch TT Last race 1997 500cc Australian Grand Prix First win 1995 500cc Spanish Grand Prix Last win 1995 500cc Spanish Grand Prix Team(s) Honda Championships 0 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 125 1 9 0 1 672

Motorcycle racing career

Puig had his best year in 1994, when he finished in fifth place in the 500 cc class.^[1] In 1995, Puig became the first Spanish competitor to win his home nation's 500 cc Grand Prix when he won the 1995 Spanish Grand Prix.^[2] He then scored two more podium results to place himself in third place in the world championship, before he crashed heavily during practice for the 1995 French Grand Prix and broke his left leg, ending his season prematurely.^[3] He returned in 1996 but his injuries hindered his progress and he decided to retire at the end of the 1997 season at the age of 30.^[2]

Team manager

Puig runs the Red Bull MotoGP Academy, designed to find and train promising Grand Prix racers and, he is credited with starting the careers of Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Toni Elías.^[4] Puig also acted as manager for Pedrosa. He was named as Repsol Honda's team principal for the 2018 season and has continued in that role through the present 2022 season.^[5][6]

Despite having only ever won one race, Puig stirred controversy in the sport by diminishing the value of the 2020 season following Marc Marquez's crash in the opening round by stating, "But my opinion, and I know what I am talking about, is that when you win but the champion is not on the track you always have something left inside." "I will set my example: I won a race here in 1995, and I've always wondered if I would have won it if Mick Doohan hadn't fallen."^[7] Jack Miller responded that he had "heard two people say now two questions about the validity of the championship, and it's a complete crock".^[7]

Motorcycle Grand Prix Results

Points system from 1969 to 1987:

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Points	15	12	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1

Points system from 1988 to 1991:

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Points	20	17	15	13	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1

Points system in 1992:

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Points	20	15	12	10	8	6	4	3	2	1

Points system from 1993:

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Points	25	20	16	13	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Class	Team	Machine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Points	Rank	Wins
1987	250cc	-	-	JPN -	ESP -	GER -	NAT -	AUT -	YUG -	NED 20	FRA 11	GBR -	SWE -	CZE -	RSM -	POR 17	BRA 20	ARG 13	0	-	0
1988	250cc	Ducados Honda-Nieto	NSR250	JPN 25	USA NC	ESP 14	EXP 8	NAT NC	GER 17	AUT -	NED -	BEL -	YUG -	FRA -	GBR -	SWE NC	CZE -	BRA 21	10	30th	0
1989	250cc	Ducados Yamaha Puig	TZ250	JPN NC	AUS NC	USA 12	ESP NC	NAT 16	GER 23	AUT 22	YUG NC	NED 7	BEL 13	FRA 14	GBR 16	SWE NC	CZE 16	BRA NC	18	23rd	0
1990	250cc	Ducados Yamaha Puig	TZ250	JPN -	USA -	ESP -	NAT -	GER -	AUT NC	YUG NC	NED 10	BEL 7	FRA 9	GBR 15	SWE 12	CZE 11	HUN -	AUS -	32	16th	0
1991	250cc	Ducados Yamaha Puig	TZ250M	JPN 21	AUS NC	USA NC	ESP 10	ITA NC	GER -	AUT -	EUR -	NED NC	FRA 19	GBR 10	RSM 17	CZE 14	VDM 11	MAL 7	28	16th	0
1992	250cc	Ducados DC Sports Aprilia	RSV250	JPN 6	AUS NC	MAL 2	ESP 7	ITA 6	EUR 8	GER 6	NED 4	HUN 3	FRA 6	GBR NC	BRA 8	RSA NC			71	6th	0
1993	250cc	Ducados Honda-Pons	NSR250	AUS 13	MAL 8	JPN 15	ESP NC	AUT 9	GER 11	NED 9	EUR 3	RSM 10	GBR NC	CZE 3	ITA 5	USA 4	FIM 4		106	9th	0
1994	500cc	Ducados Honda-Pons	NSR500	AUS 7	MAL 5	JPN 8	ESP 6	AUT 6	GER 3	NED 4	ITA 4	FRA 4	GBR 7	CZE 5	USA 7	ARG 5	EUR 7		152	5th	0
1995	500cc	Fortuna Honda-Pons	NSR500	AUS 7	MAL 5	JPN 5	ESP 1	GER 5	ITA 3	NED 3	FRA -	GBR -	CZE -	BRA -	ARG -	EUR -			99	8th	1
1996	500cc	Fortuna Honda-Pons	NSR500	MAL 7	INA 10	JPN 9	ESP 5	ITA 12	FRA 3	NED 12	GER 11	GBR 11	AUT 13	CZE 12	IMO 12	CAT 7	BRA 10	AUS -	93	11th	0
1997	500cc	MoviStar Honda-Pons	NSR500	MAL 7	JPN 8	ESP NC	ITA NC	AUT 8	FRA 8	NED 5	IMO 12	GER 10	BRA 14	GBR NC	CZE 13	CAT 15	INA 14	AUS 15	63	12th	0

^[1]

References

1. "Alberto Puig". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
2. "Puig Decides To Call It Quits At 30". New Straits Times. Associated Press. 20 November 1997. p. 41. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
3. "Puig Breaks Leg". London: independent.co.uk. 9 July 1995. Archived from the original on 2012-11-10. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
4. Birt, Matthew (2007-10-01). "Alberto Puig proud to have helped Casey Stoner". Motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
5. "Alberto Puig announced as new Honda MotoGP team boss". autosport.com. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
6. "Alberto Puig profile". hondaracingcorporation.com. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
7. "Miller: Claims MotoGP title illegitimate without Marquez are "complete crock"". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-07-23.

External links

• Alberto Puig Honda team manager profile
• Red Bull MotoGP Academy Official website
• Piloto leyenda - Alberto Puig Biography (in Spanish)