Honda announced its plans for participation in motorcycle motorsports world championship racing for the 2020 season and the Dakar Rally 2020, at EICMA 2019 in Milan, Italy.
To date, Honda has participated in numerous categories of FIM*1 motorcycle racing world championships with its factory teams*2 operated by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC).
2019 marked the 60th anniversary of Honda participating in the 1959 Isle of Man TT for the first time. 2019 was also the year in which Honda won the riders championships in the premier categories of the FIM MotoGP World Championship, FIM Motocross World Championship, and FIM Trial World Championship.
In 2020, HRC factory teams will aim to defend their crowns in MotoGP, Motocross and Trials. Furthermore, Honda’s HRC factory team will continue to compete in the Dakar Rally which moves from South America to Saudi Arabia from next year.
From the 2020 season, Honda will also bring its HRC factory team “Team HRC” to the FIM Superbike World Championship, with Álvaro Bautista (Spain) and Leon Haslam (U.K.) riding factory bikes based on the new CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP. MFJ*3 All Japan Road Race Championship 2017 winner Takumi Takahashi will be also be participating in the FIM Superbike World Championship, riding for satellite team “MIE Racing Team”.
Numerous Honda teams will also be competing in the world championships: F.C.C. TSR Honda France will continue its quest for dominance in the FIM Endurance World Championship, while Team Honda HRC (American Honda Motor Company factory team) will continue to fight for the 450SX class title in the AMA*4 Supercross Championship.
Racing is Honda’s driving force, and through competing in various races, hones its technologies and its people. The racing spirit and technologies gained are part of many Honda products. Honda will continue to realize “The Power of Dreams” with its customers, in its products, services and racing activities.
*1 FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
*2 Factory teams: Teams operated by motorcycle manufacturers
*3 MFJ: Motorcycle Federation of Japan
*4 AMA: American Motorcyclist Association
Honda’s 2020 Participation in Motorcycle World Championship Racing
• FIM Road Racing World Championship Series (MotoGP)
＜MotoGP Class＞
|
Team |
Machine |
No. |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2019 results |
|
Repsol Honda Team *5 |
RC213V *5 |
93 |
Marc Márquez *5 |
26 |
Spain |
MotoGP Champion |
|
99 |
Jorge Lorenzo |
32 |
Spain |
MotoGP 19th (as of Nov. 4) |
||
|
LCR Honda CASTROL |
35 |
Cal Crutchlow |
34 |
U.K. |
MotoGP 9th (as of Nov. 4) |
|
|
LCR Honda IDEMITSU |
30 |
Takaaki Nakagami |
27 |
Japan |
MotoGP 13th (as of Nov. 4) |
*5 Team ☆ indicates factory team, machine ☆ indicates factory bike, rider ☆ indicates HRC rider
＜Moto2 Class＞
|
Team |
Machine |
No. |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2019 results |
|
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia |
KALEX |
35 |
Somkiat Chantra |
20 |
Thailand |
Moto2 21st (as of Nov. 4) |
|
27 |
Andi Farid Izdihar |
22 |
Indonesia |
ARRC SS600 5th (as of Nov. 4) |
＜Moto3 Class＞
|
Team |
Machine |
No. |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2019 results |
|
|
|
79 |
Ai Ogura |
18 |
Japan |
Moto3 11th (as of Nov. 4) |
|
Honda Team Asia |
NSF250RW |
92 |
Yuki Kunii |
16 |
Japan |
CEV Junior World Championship |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7th (as of Nov. 4) |
• FIM Superbike World Championship Series (SBK)
|
Team |
Machine |
No. |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2019 results |
|
Team HRC |
CBR1000RR-R SP |
TBA |
Álvaro Bautista |
34 |
Spain |
SBK 2nd |
|
TBA |
Leon Haslam |
36 |
U.K. |
SBK 7th |
||
|
MIE Racing Team |
CBR1000RR-R SP |
TBA |
Takumi Takahashi |
29 |
Japan |
JRR*6 2nd |
|
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
*6 All Japan Road Race Championship
• FIM Endurance World Championship Series (EWC)
|
Team |
Machine |
No. |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2018-2019 results |
|
F.C.C. TSR Honda France |
CBR1000RR SP2 |
5 |
Josh Hook |
26 |
Australia |
EWC 2nd |
|
Freddy Foray |
35 |
France |
||||
|
Mike Di Meglio |
31 |
France |
• FIM Motocross World Championship Series (MXGP)
|
Team |
Machine | No. |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2019 results |
|
Team HRC |
CRF450RW |
243 |
Tim Gajser |
23 |
Slovenia |
MXGP Champion |
|
43 |
Mitchell Evans |
20 |
Australia |
MX2 11th |
• AMA SuperCross World Championship Series (450SX)
|
Team |
Machine | No. |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2019 results |
|
Team Honda HRC |
CRF450R |
94 |
Ken Roczen |
25 |
Germany |
450SX 4th |
|
10 |
Justin Brayton |
35 |
U.S.A. |
450SX 10th |
• FIM Trial World Championship Series (TrialGP)
|
Team |
Machine |
No. |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2019 results |
|
Repsol Honda Team |
COTA4RT |
1 |
Toni Bou |
33 |
Spain |
TrialGP Champion |
|
3 |
Takahisa Fujinami |
39 |
Japan |
TrialGP 3rd |
• The Dakar 2019
|
Team |
Machine |
No. |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2019 results |
|
Monster Energy Honda Team |
CRF450 RALLY |
7 |
Kevin Benavides |
30 |
Argentina |
Dakar 2019 5th |
|
12 |
Joan Barreda |
36 |
Spain |
Dakar 2019 Entry | ||
|
26 |
Aaron Mare |
24 |
South Africa |
Cross-Country Rallies World Championship 19th |
||
|
9 |
Ricky Brabec |
28 |
U.S.A. |
Dakar 2019 Entry | ||
|
17 |
José Ignacio Cornejo |
25 |
Chile |
Dakar 2019 8th |