Honda Announces Plans for 2016 Motorcycle Motorsports Activities

2016 Honda Riders

In August this year, 56 years since first participating in the FIM Road Racing World Championship Series in 1959, Honda achieved an unprecedented 700 world motorcycle Grand Prix victories in all classes, following Marc Marquez’s MotoGP victory in Austin. To Honda, racing activities are its driving force, and Honda’s participation in the world’s top class of motorsports not only enables it to hone its technologies, but apply the racing spirit and ideas to many of its products. As the leading personal mobility company, Honda continues to provide people worldwide with enjoyment and happiness through its products and racing activities, and, with its belief in its corporate slogan “The Power of Dreams," will realize its – and customers’ – dreams.

Review of Honda’s 2015 Motorcycle World Championship Racing Activities

In the 2015 season, Honda participated in eight classes in six categories of Motorcycle World Championship racing, and the Dakar 2015. In the FIM*1 Trial World Championship Series (WCT), Toni Bou achieved an unprecedented 9th consecutive championship title. Tim Gajser won his first championship in the FIM Motocross World Championship Series (MXGP) MX2 class, as did Danny Kent in the MotoGP FIM Road Racing World Championship Series Moto3 class.

Honda’s 2016 Participation in Motorcycle World Championship Racing

1.FIM Road Racing World Championship Series (MotoGP)

＜MotoGP Class＞

Honda aims to win back the MotoGP class title, with double-world champion (2013 / 2014) Marc Marquez, and 11-year MotoGP class veteran Dani Pedrosa riding for Honda’s factory team*2 “Repsol Honda Team" on 2016 RC213V factory machines. With Cal Crutchlow (CWM LCR Honda), and Jack Miller (MARC VDS Racing Team) and Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) also riding 2016 RC213Vs, Honda aims to win the “Triple Crown"; the riders’, constructors’, and team titles.

Team	Number	Machine	Rider	Age	Nationality	2015 results
Repsol Honda Team â˜-*3	93	RC213V â˜-*3	Marc Marquez â˜-*3	22	Spain	MotoGP class 3rd
	26		Dani Pedrosa â˜-	30	Spain	MotoGP class 4th
LCR Honda	35		Cal Crutchlow	30	Great Britain	MotoGP class 8th
MARC VDS Racing Team	43		Jack Miller â˜-	20	Australia	MotoGP class 19th
Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	50		Tito Rabat	26	Spain	Moto2 class 3rd

*1 FIM: Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme

*2 Honda factory team operated by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC)

*3 â˜- indicates Factory team, factory bike or HRC rider

＜Moto3 Class＞

Victorious in the 2015 season, Honda will compete in the Moto3 class with 2016 model NSF250RW factory machines. Eleven riders, including Enea Bastianini (3rd in 2015 season) and Niccolo Antonelli (4th in 2015 season) will aim to give Honda its third consecutive championship title.

Team	Number	Machine	Rider	Age	Nationality	2015 results
Estrella Galicia 0,0	44	NSF250RW â˜-	Aron Canet	16	Spain	CEV Moto3 2rd
	99		Jorge Navarro	19	Spain	Moto3 class 7th
Ongetta-Rivacold	23		Niccolo Antonelli	19	Italy	Moto3 class 5th
	95		Jules Danilo	20	France	Moto3 class 26th
Drive M7 Sic Racing Team	7		Adam Norrodin	17	Malaysia	ATC 8th
	84		Jakub Kornfeil	22	Czech Republic	Moto3 class 12th
Gresini Racing Moto3	33		Enea Bastianini	17	Italy	Moto3 class 3rd
	21		Fabio Di Giannantonio	17	Italy	CIV Moto3 2rd
Honda Team Asia	76		Hiroki Ono	23	Japan	Moto3 class 21th
	89		Khairul Idham Pawi	17	Malaysia	Moto3 class 5th
RW Racing GP BV	11		Livio Loi	18	Belgium	Moto3 class 16th

2.FIM Trial World Championship Series (WCT)

Honda aims to claim an unprecedented 11th consecutive constructors’ title and 10th consecutive riders’ title, with nine-time consecutive champion Toni Bou, 21-year WCT veteran Takahisa Fujinami, and this season rising star Jaime Busto riding COTA4RT factory machines for Honda’s factory team, “Repsol Honda Team".

Team	Number	Machine	Rider	Age	Nationality	2015 results
Repsol Honda Team â˜-	1	COTA4RT â˜-	Toni Bou â˜-	29	Spain	WCT Champion
	5		Takahisa Fujinami â˜-	35	Japan	WCT 5th
	6		Jaime Busto â˜-	18	Spain	WCT 6th

3.FIM Motocross World Championship Series (MXGP)

In the MXGP class, Honda just missed out on taking the title this year, with Gautier Paulin finishing 2nd in the 2015 season, and Evgeny Bobryshev ranked 3^rd. In 2016, Paulin and Bobryshev will continue to represent Honda’s factory team, “Team HRC". 2015 MX2 World Champion Tim Gajser will join the premier class, racing for Team Honda Gariboldi Racing. All three riders will aim to win the championship on the 2016 CRF450RW factory machine. HRC rider Kei Yamamoto will ride a CRF450R to compete in the class for Team Assomotor Honda.

Team	Number	Machine	Rider	Age	Nationality	2015 results
Team HRC â˜-	21	CRF450RW â˜-	Gautier Paulin â˜-	25	France	MXGP 2nd
	777		Evgeny Bobryshev â˜-	28	Russia	MXGP 3rd
Team Honda Gariboldi Racing	243	CRF450RW â˜-	Tim Gajser â˜-	19	Slovenia	MX2 Champion
Team Assomotor Honda	400	CRF450R	Kei Yamamoto â˜-	23	Japan	MXGP 27th

＜MX2: 250cc Class＞

In the MX2 class, Honda aims to defend its 2015 title with 19 year old Jorge Zaragoza racing for the championship team, Team Honda Gariboldi Racing, on a factory machine CRF250RW.

Team	Number	Machine	Rider	Age	Nationality	2015 results
Team Honda Gariboldi Racing	101	CRF250RW â˜-	Jorge Zaragoza â˜-	19	Spain	MX2 class 25th

4.AMA SuperCross World Championship Series (450SX)

Honda’s factory team “Team Honda HRC" will aim for a more successful season in 2016, with Cole Seely, winner of 1 race prix in his rookie year, and Trey Canard, winner of 2 races despite fighting injuries, riding CRF450Rs to challenge for the title.

Team	Number	Machine	Rider	Age	Nationality	2015 results
Team Honda HRC â˜-	14	CRF450R	Cole Seely â˜-	25	USA	450SX 3th
	41		Trey Canard â˜-	25	USA	450SX 6th

AMA: American Motorcyclist Association

5. FIM Superbike World Championship Series (WSBK)

Honda World Superbike Team, supported by Honda Motor Europe Ltd. (Honda’s European regional headquarters), will compete in the series with 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden and 2014 World Supersport Champion Michael van der Mark riding CBR1000RR machines.

Team	Number	Machine	Rider	Age	Nationality	2015 results
Honda World Superbike Team	69	CBR1000RR	Nicky Hayden	34	USA	MotoGP Open class 4th
	60		Michael van der Mark	23	The Netherlands	WSB 9th

6. FIM Supersport World Championship Series (WSS)

The Honda World Superbike Team, supported by Honda Motor Europe Ltd., will compete in the Supersport series with Kyle Smith riding the CBR600RR machine.

Team	Number	Machine	Rider	Age	Nationality	2015 results
PTR World Supersport Team	111	CBR600RR	Kyle Smith	24	Great Britain	WSS 5th

The Dakar 2016

In its fourth year after returning to the Dakar, Honda’s factory team “Team HRC", armed with 2016 CRF450 RALLY factory machines, will once again be represented by ace rider Joan Barreda and DAKAR 2015 runner-up Paulo Goncalves, joined by Michael Metge, Paolo Ceci and Ricky Brabec. Team HRC is out to win Honda’s first title in 27 years, since its Paris Dakar victory in 1988.

Team	Number	Machine	Rider	Age	Nationality	2015 results
Team HRC â˜-	6	CRF450 RALLY	Joan Barreda â˜-	32	Spain	Dakar Rally 17th
	2		Paulo Goncalves â˜-	36	Portugal	Dakar Rally 2nd
	19		Michael Metge â˜-	36	France	–
	32		Paolo Ceci â˜-	40	Italy	Dakar Rally 14th
	48		Ricky Brabec	24	USA	–