Honda Announces Plans for 2016 Motorcycle Motorsports Activities

2016 Honda Riders
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 3rd. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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