For the entire Castrol Honda team Assen is a race redolent with memories and some even more immediate thoughts. Operated by the ten Kate Team based just down the road from the classic Dutch circuit, Castrol Honda's official entry is not only packed with locals, it features the talents of Jonathan Rea, who had a double win at Assen in 2010, when riding for Ten Kate.

More of the same would be a perfect welcome home for the team, except as Jonathan Rea explains they have been ‘home' for some time. "Like last year, I've been camping in the motorhome at the workshop for the last week or so and doing some PR stuff for the team and the circuit," said Jonathan. "We also had the Ten Kate Pit Stop Day last Saturday, which was a great opportunity to meet the fans at the workshop in Nieuwleusen. At the weekend, we'll obviously be looking to capitalize at the team's home circuit where we tested a lot last year and where we know the Honda Fireblade works really well. After the unforgettable weekend we had last year, there's obviously a bit of pressure, but we'll just work steadily over Friday and Saturday to put ourselves in a good position for Sunday and try to get our season started properly."