February 3, 2012 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced the key features of its 2012 motorsports program, including its motorsports strategy and initiatives for expanding the popularity of motorsports.

For Honda, motorsports activities are the symbol of the company's challenging spirit. Honda has aimed for the world's top level from the days of its founding, taking on challenges in a variety of racing categories. With the know-how and challenging spirit cultivated through its motorsports activities, Honda will continue to expand our activities that meet customers' expectations that bring more joy and excitement in the year 2012.

In the MotoGP, the premier class of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Series (MotoGP), the Honda factory team of Repsol Honda Team will put forward a lineup of two riders, last year's series champion Casey Stoner together with Dani Pedrosa. In line with the regulation change of 2012, Honda will enter the newly developed RC213V machine, Honda is targeting to win all three championship titles this year, capturing the rider's, team's, and constructor's titles for the second year in a row. Honda will also supply machines to satellite teams, amounting to a total of three teams and four riders.

In the Moto2 class, Honda will continue its active support as the sole official engine supplier, based on the CBR600RR motorcycle. The Moto3 class, which replaces the 125cc class, will be competed with 4-stroke 250cc engines. For this purpose, Honda has developed the NSF250R, which is now also commercially available.

In the premier IA1 class of the MFJ All-Japan Motocross Championship Series, Honda relaunched its factory team involvement last year. This Team HRC will compete with three riders this season; Akira Narita, last year's series champion in the IA1 class, and Makoto Ogata, moving up from the IA2 class, will join Yu Hirata for a total of 3 riders.

Through collaboration with its local subsidiaries in many countries, Honda aims to capture championships in series races held globally, including the FIM World Superbike Championship Series (WSB), the FIM World Motocross Championship Series (WMX), the FIM World Trial Championship Series (WCT), and for the new entry FIM Asia Road Racing Championship Series (ARCC).

Honda has initiated discussions with the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) for participation in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). Planning to compete with the new 5-door Civic that will go on sale in Europe, Honda aims to enter the WTCC starting with the Race of Japan held at Suzuka Circuit in October 2012 and compete in all WTCC races in 2013.

In the SUPER GT Series, Honda will compete in the GT500 class with its HSV-010 GT with improved dynamic performance and aims to recapture the dual titles of the driver's and team's championships by entering five teams and five racing machines. In the GT300 class, Honda will start competition with a CR-Z equipped with a racing hybrid system, supporting the racing activities of Team Mugen through a joint project with M-TEC Co., Ltd.

Honda will enter four teams in All-Japan Formula Nippon Championships and equip six cars with the 3.4-liter V-8 HR10E engine, now featuring even greater combustion efficiency while achieving greater power and improved fuel efficiency. These teams will battle to win back the dual titles of driver's and team's championships.

In North America's premier IndyCar® Series, Honda will supply the 2.2-liter V-6 HI12R turbo engine to 6 teams and 10 machines, as it seeks to win the engine manufacturer's title. The Japanese driver Takuma Sato will race for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the IndyCar® Series for his third season as well as compete selectively in Formula Nippon this season.

Honda's program to expand the popularity of motorsports includes a wide variety of diverse activities undertaken to communicate the appeal of motorsports to a broad spectrum of fans around the world. These activities range from such world-class races as the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Series (MotoGP) to various events that can be enjoyed in a casual setting, in addition to the company's programs for developing motorcycle and automobile racing talent.

Mobilityland Corporation will continue to provide a venue and a multitude of opportunities for racing fans to watch, participate in, and enjoy racing events. By hosting these events, Mobilityland will also aim to contribute to the further growth of Japanese motorsports culture.

September 20, 2012, will mark Suzuka Circuit's 50th anniversary since its opening. As Japan's first full-scale racing course opening in 1962, Suzuka Circuit has hosted a large number and a wide variety of racing events to this day. In 2012, it will host numerous events throughout the year, starting with Suzuka Circuit 50th Anniversary Fan Appreciation Day in March and also covering the FIA Formula One World Championship (F1) and FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) races.

2012 also marks the 15th anniversary of Twin Ring Motegi, which will host the FIM World Trial Championship Series (WCT) and FIM Road Racing World Championship (MotoGP) races. Mobilityland will continuously offer fans a chance to watch and experience a wealth of Japanese and international motorsports events including these world-class motorcycle and automobile races.

To provide more opportunities for fans to watch, participate in, and enjoy Honda's motorcycles, automobiles, and power products activities, the Enjoy Honda fan appreciation program will continue to be held in Japan. In addition to previous years' events at Suzuka Circuit, Twin Ring Motegi, and Honda Safety & Riding PLAZA Kyushu, new venues of Hokkaido, Miyagi and Kagawa will be added this year for a total of six events.

The Enjoy Honda program will feature Honda motorcycles, automobiles, and power products; a chance to ride in the air on tethered hot-air balloons; parent-and-child motorcycle lessons; live demonstrations of Honda's humanoid robot, ASIMO; and Craft Classes from the Forest.^*3

●Schedule as of February 3, 2012

To show its appreciation to motorsports fans, Honda will host Honda Racing THANKS DAY.

Since 1981, Honda has hosted the Honda Eco Mileage Challenge, an event focused around the environment. Participants combine their creativity, free imagination and technology to create their own handcrafted vehicles, and then compete to see how far they can travel on one liter of fuel. In 2012, this event will mark its 32nd year, where 12,336 teams have participated throughout the years, and a new record of 3,644.869 km per liter was achieved at the Honda Eco Mileage Challenge 2011. These events have been held not only in Japan but also in such other countries as Thailand, China and Vietnam.

This program features events for children, using Pinky Bikes and Kid's Bikes, popular attractions at the amusement facilities at Suzuka Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi. The purpose of the program is to actively offer the chance for young children to have first-hand experience with vehicles, so that "mobility" will be familiar and enjoyable to them from early adolescence. In 2011, the Honda "Enjoy Kids Rider" event was held at three sites in Japan, including Natori City in Miyagi, a part of the area directly struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. A total of 1,581 children took part in these Enjoy Kids Rider events last year. Once again this year, Shinya Nakano, a former MotoGP rider, has been appointed captain of the event Caravan Crew that will circulate these sites in Japan.

●The schedule is subject to change.

The Honda Sports & Eco Program will start this year as a new program using the Honda CR-Z "Sports & Eco" specification car, to promote motorsports in which every participant can take part. Run jointly by Mobilityland Corporation and M-TEC Co., Ltd., and also supported by Honda, this event will enable participants to easily enjoy the fun of "maneuvering, polishing their driving skills, and competing," while pushing the limits of the vehicle, to promote coexistence of the environment and sports driving.

Starting this year, the Motegi 1.5 Challenge Cup, a new motorsports program that anyone can take part with a vehicle engine displacement of 1.5-liter or less, will take place five times annually at Twin Ring Motegi. In concord with the event's aim of "revitalizing participatory motorsports," Honda will support the development of M-TEC racing parts made for the Fit RS and other models.

Honda will support the rapidly rising interest in motorcycle racing across Asia, with the introduction of a new program for developing rider talent called the Asia Dream Cup. This project will be part of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship Series, which will select riders from 12 Asian and Oceanian countries, in order to train future Grand Prix riders. Honda will supply racing specifications machines based on its global CBR250R model and send the former MotoGP rider Makoto Tamada to all races to offer advice and guidance to young riders.

In Japan, the training program will begin in May, 2012 in line with the CBR250R Cup races held at Sportsland SUGO, Twin Ring Motegi, Tsukuba Circuit, Suzuka Circuit, Okayama International Circuit, and Honda Safety & Riding PLAZA Kyushu.

Honda will compete again this year in the MotoGP class, the premier class of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Series (MotoGP), our goals being to win all three championship titles - rider's, team's, and constructor's titles - for the second year in a row. This year Honda will race the newly developed RC213V machines in line with the regulation change in the maximum engine displacement from 800cc to 1000cc.

The Repsol Honda Team, the factory team, will enter the races with Casey Stoner, last season's champion, and Dani Pedrosa. Two satellite teams with two riders will compete as well. Alvaro Bautista will represent Team San Carlo Honda Gresini, and Stefan Bradl, last year's Moto2 class champion, will represent LCR Honda MotoGP.

In Moto2 class, Honda will continue to support the series as the sole official engine supplier. All machines for every team will be powered by a race engine developed exclusively for the Moto2 class, derived from the in-line 4-cylinder engine of the commercial CBR600RR supersports model.

In this class, Takaaki Nakagami, last season's champion in the J-GP2 class of MFJ All-Japan Road Race Championship Series, will join the race for the Italtrans Racing Team, while Yuki Takahashi, in his third season as a Moto2 class rider, will now compete for NGM Mobile Forward Racing. The Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot, also in his third Moto2 season, will now race for Gresini Racing Moto2.

The Moto3 class^*4 has been established as a new MotoGP racing class this year. In response, Honda has developed the NSF250R, specifically for the Moto3 racing, which went on-sale last year. Moto3's inaugural 2012 season will feature 13 Honda machines out of a total of 32 machines. Honda will support Kenta Fujii, last season's J-GP3 champion of the MFJ All-Japan Road Race Championship Series, who will be the only Japanese rider in the class this year.

To heighten the attraction of the 35th Suzuka 8hours Endurance Road Race, Honda plans to enter riders who are active in championship races around the world and in Japan, such as Jonathan Rea, who competes in the FIM World Superbike Championship Series (WSB), and Kosuke Akiyoshi, who currently competes in the MFJ All-Japan Road Racing Championship Series. These riders will come from veteran endurance race teams such as F. C. C. TSR Honda and MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO.

The Honda World Superbike Team, supported by Honda Motor Europe Ltd. (HME), Honda's local affiliate in Europe, will compete in the World Superbike Championship Series (WSB) with the CBR1000RR. The two riders on the team will be Jonathan Rea, racing for Honda in WSB, and Hiroshi Aoyama, who raced in MotoGP until last year.

The team supported by Boon Siew Honda SDN. BHD., Honda's local affiliate in Malaysia, will race in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship Series (ARRC) with Ryuichi Kiyonari, who raced in the British Superbike Championship Series (BSB) last year. Also competing for the team will be Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Md Emir Firdaus Hasan, pair of riders who won last season's Suzuka 4hours Endurance Road Race, and Md Zaqhwan Zaidi.

In collaboration with Honda Racing Corporation and the Motorcycle R&D Center of Honda R&D Co., Ltd., Honda Motorcycle Japan Co., Ltd. will sponsor the Honda Racing Circuit Service for all riders on Honda models in each race of the MFJ All-Japan Road Racing Championship Series. This service supports the racing of Honda riders by providing advice on machine-setting and riding techniques.

Hyuga Watanabe who competed in the J-GP3 class with a NSF250R last year, will enter the Moto3 class of the Spanish GP with an NSF250R from Team 7C for the full series.

Supported by Honda Motor Europe Ltd. (HME), Honda's local subsidiary in Europe, the Honda World Motocross Team will enter the race with the CRF450R model in the MX1 class, the premier class of the FIM World Motocross Championship Series (WMX).

Team HRC, armed with the CRF450R, has set aim on the IA1 class^*6 championship of the MFJ All-Japan Motocross Championship Series. Now joining the factory team in its second season will be Akira Narita, who became series champion in the IA1 class last year. Yu Hirata will again compete for the team along with Makoto Ogata, who has moved up from the IA2 class. All three riders have set their sights on winning back the championship title.

Furthermore, in collaboration with Honda Racing Corporation and the Motorcycle R&D Center of Honda R&D Co., Ltd., Honda Motorcycle Japan Co., Ltd. will sponsor the "Honda Racing Circuit Service" for all Honda riders participating in each race of the MFJ All-Japan Motocross Championship Series. This service supports the racing activities of Honda riders by providing advice on machine-setting and riding techniques.

Repsol Montesa Honda will compete again this year in the FIM World Trial Championship Series (WCT). Honda will run two Montesa COTA 4RTs equipped with 4-stroke engines. Two riders will compete; Toni Bou, the current five-year consecutive champion, and Takahisa Fujinami, the only Japanese rider in the series, who placed third last season.

Honda has its eyes on its sixth straight rider's championship and its seventh straight manufacturer's championship.

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) will provide support to riders in the HRC Club teams in the All-Japan Trials Championship Series.

In the GT500 class, Honda will continue to race using the HSV-010 GT with improved dynamic performance in its quest to recapture the dual titles of driver's and team's championships. Five vehicles in five different teams will compete again this season. As before, the machine is being developed under the Honda GT Project by the Automobile R&D Center of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. in cooperation with M-TEC Co., Ltd. and Dome Co., Ltd. Carrying the flag for Autobacs Racing Team Aguri will be Ralph Firman, a former SUPER GT champion driver in 2007, while Carlo van Dam, the 2008 champion of the Japanese Formula 3 Championship, will compete for Weider Honda Racing in the GT 500 class of SUPER GT.

Starting this year, Honda will enter the GT300 class with a CR-Z equipped with a racing hybrid system, and through a joint project with M-TEC Co., Ltd. Honda will support the racing activities of TEAM MUGEN, which plans to enter the GT300 class from Round 4 (Sportsland SUGO). The development driver will be Hideki Mutoh, who has competed in the IndyCar® Series and the GT500 class of SUPER GT.

Aiming to win the title with teams entering machines powered by Honda engines, Honda will equip four teams and six cars with the 3.4-liter V-8 HR10E engine through Japan Race Promotion Inc. 
Takuma Sato, who will race in the entire IndyCar® Series this year, will also compete selectively in Formula Nippon. (Details will be reported when they are decided.)

For developing racing talent, Honda directs the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP), which focuses on discovering and cultivating young, skilled drivers to be active in motorsports. For this season, Honda will support a total of six drivers, two drivers competing in Japanese Formula 3 Championship Series and four drivers competing in Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ), a junior formula car race.

For this season, Honda will support racers Tomoki Nojiri in the Japanese Formula 3 Championship Series (the former C class) and Kazuki Hiramine in the F3N class.

For the purpose of "discovery and cultivation of young, skilled drivers to be active on the world stage", Honda will continuously support the Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ), a junior formula car race, together with two other automakers.^*7 As part of its ongoing participation in FCJ, Honda will support the participation of four drivers through training scholarships.

Seeking to develop riders and drivers who will become formidable contenders on the global motorsports stage, Mobilityland Corporation operates its own racing schools: the Suzuka Circuit Racing School Junior (SRS-J) for motorcycles and the Suzuka Circuit Racing School Kart (SRS-K) and Suzuka Circuit Racing School Formula (SRS-F) for automobiles. Top class riders and drivers provide guidance at these schools as instructors. The Suzuka Circuit Racing School has produced competitive racers for the MotoGP and Formula One Grand Prix. Many graduates have been active in numerous motorcycle and automobile racing categories both inside Japan and overseas. Racers in training who demonstrate excellent results at SRS-F will receive training scholarships for their participation in Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ), a race category for stepping up onto higher level competition.

Starting this year, multiple manufacturers will be suppliers of engines for the IndyCar® Series. Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD), a subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will equip six teams and ten machines with its 2.2-liter V-6 HI12R turbo engine as it gears up for capturing the engine manufacturer's title.
Takuma Sato, the only Japanese driver, will compete for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in his third season of the IndyCar® Series.

In the LMP1 class^*9of ALMS this year, Honda will supply the ARX-03a chassis developed by HPD and a 3.4-liter V8 LM-V8 engine to support CytoSport / Muscle Milk Racing team. In the LMP2 class, Honda will supply the 2.8-liter HR 28TT V6 twin turbo engine and the ARX-03b chassis to the Level 5 Motorsports team, and will supply the HR 28TT V6 to the Black Swan RacingR team as well.

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) which include the 24 Heures du Mans (24 Hours of Le Mans) will make its debut this year. HPD will continue its support for the participation of the Strakka Racing and JRM Racing teams in the LMP1 class by equipping them with the ARX-03a chassis and the LM-V8 engines.