Five minutes with... Gabriel Marcelli
By Team TMX on 20th Dec 24
News Trials Trial World Championship
Ahead of the X-Trial World Championship firing into life in Madrid this weekend we caught upwith Repsol Honda's Gabriel Marcelli to discuss his time with Repsol Honda, his career to date and what the future holds for the 24-year-old Spaniard.
What does the trust placed in you by Repsol Honda mean to you?
“It is very important to me that the Repsol Honda Team have trusted in me to continue together for three more years. I think it shows a lot of the good work we are doing, and that is reflected in the results. I’m very happy. This is the team I dreamed of being on when I was little and it is a huge thing that they have such confidence in me.”
How have you developed over the years?
“This past season has been positive. I’m very happy with how things have gone, both in the TrialGP World Championship and in X-Trial. I can see that, year after year, I am evolving, I am not taking steps backwards, which is important. Next season we will continue working to improve the results. Both the team and I are doing a very good job and I hope it continues like this in the coming years.”
You’ve been with Repsol Honda for three years, but your relationship with Montesa goes back almost 10 years. How has it been with them?
“Montesa have been like a family to me. They’ve always helped me with anything I’ve needed. It’s thanks to them that I’m where I am today. I’ll always be very grateful for all the help I’ve received over all these years, especially the first few years when I wasn’t a well-established rider, so to speak, and yet they still believed in me.”
The goal last season was to improve on the previous campaign. What analysis would you make of it?
“It was really great. I think I’ve taken another step forward in terms of regularity and consistency in the races. I felt very confident all season and I was on the podium on many occasions. There are still things to improve and obviously I have to continue to strengthen those aspects in which I am not as strong, like in races where there is a lack of grip, but we continue to chip away to do the best we can in each race.”
Will winning a race be the challenge you set yourself next year?
“This was another year in which victory just eluded me, especially in the indoor World Championship. In the end it is a big challenge because my rivals are at a very high level, especially Toni, but I see myself as being capable of achieving it. It is the objective for next season, to get my first victory and try not to drop out of the Top 3 in any race.”
What does it mean to you to have Toni Bou as a teammate?
“Having Toni as a teammate is a real privilege. He is a very humble person who helps you whenever he can. As a rider he is very complete, he is good at any type of zone, which makes the rest of us more competitive and want to match his level. When I train with him he always helps me and gives me advice. He gives me insight during the races and makes me push myself and demand more from myself on a daily basis.”
What is your relationship like with Takahisa Fujinami?
“I have a very good relationship with Fuji. He has a lot of experience and insight during the races. He knows what can happen to you as a rider during the different sections and he is always a provider of support when it comes to making decisions. He knows what we need at all times, which also helps me to be more effective later during the race.”
How do you manage the pressure of being on the best team in the world?
“It is certainly an extra pressure, but not pressure they put on you, but rather something you put on yourself for being on this team. It’s something that, if you know how to face it well, can even help you to demand more from yourself. Pressure, when well managed and approached with a cool head, is a positive thing. I am on the best team if I want to one day become number one.”
How have you changed between 2022 and 2024?
“I have changed quite a bit from 2022 to 2024. Maybe it hasn’t been that long, but I have noticed that I have taken a step forward in terms of my maturity, riding level and racing vision. When I joined the team in 2022 I felt more timid, and although I was a good rider, perhaps I didn’t have the self-confidence that I have today.”
What is the dream that remains for you to fulfil at Repsol Honda?
“The next dream that I have to fulfil is obviously to be World Champion. My rivals won’t make it easy, especially Toni, but I think I’m on the best team to achieve it. And thinking more short-term: I want to get my first victory in the World Championship.”
