Honda Announces Plans for 2018 Motorcycle Motorsports Activities - Honda’s Participation in World Championship Racing and Dakar Rally 2018 -
November 7, 2017, Italy
On November 6, 2017, Honda announced plans for its participation in motorcycle motorsports world championship racing activities for the 2018 season, at EICMA 2017 in Milan, Italy.
In 2018, Honda will continue to compete in the various Motorcycle World Championship categories and the Dakar Rally 2018. In the FIM*1 Road Racing World Championship Series MotoGP class, Honda welcomes Takaaki Nakagami, the first Japanese in four years to compete in the series, Franco Morbidelli and Thomas Lüthi into the fold to embark on a fresh challenge. This season, Honda aims to win every category it competes in.
To Honda, racing activities are its driving force, and participation in the world’s premier classes hones its technology and associates’ skills, and the racing spirit and ideas gained are applied to many of its products. 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.
Honda’s 2018 Participation in Motorcycle World Championship Racing
1.FIM Road Racing World Championship Series (MotoGP)
<MotoGP Class>
In the 2018 season MotoGP class, Marc Márquez, currently leading the series, and 13-year MotoGP class veteran Dani Pedrosa will ride for Honda’s factory team*2 “Repsol Honda Team” on 2018 RC213V factory machines. With Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda CASTROL), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU), Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) and Thomas Lüthi (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) riding RC213V racing bikes, Honda aims to win the “Triple Crown;” the riders, constructors, and team titles.
Team | Machine | No. | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2017 results |
Repsol Honda Team ★*3 |
RC213V ★*3 |
93 | Marc Márquez ★*3 |
24 | Spain | MotoGP 1st (as of Nov. 6) |
26 | Dani Pedrosa ★ |
32 | Spain | MotoGP 5th (as of Nov. 6) |
||
LCR Honda CASTROL | RC213V | 35 | Cal Crutchlow ★ |
32 | United Kingdom | MotoGP 9th (as of Nov. 6) |
LCR Honda IDEMITSU | 30 | Takaaki Nakagami ★ |
25 | Japan | Moto2 7th (as of Nov. 6) |
|
Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS | 21 | Franco Morbidelli | 22 | Italy | Moto2 Champion |
|
12 | Thomas Lüthi | 31 | Switzerland | Moto2 2nd |
- *1FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
- *2Honda factory team operated by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC)
- *3Team ★ indicates factory team, machine ★ indicates factory bike, rider ★ indicates HRC rider
<Moto3 Class>
In the 2017 season, Honda became the riders and constructors champions. In 2018, Honda will compete in the Moto3 class with thirteen 2018 model NSF250RW factory machines. 7 teams will attempt to give Honda consecutive riders and constructors titles.
Team | Machine | No. | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2017 results |
Estrella Galicia 0,0 | NSF250RW ★ |
44 | Aròn Canet | 18 | Spain | Moto3 3rd (as of Nov. 6) |
TBA | TBA | - | - | - | ||
Leopard Racing | 33 | Enea Bastianini | 19 | Italy | Moto3 6th (as of Nov. 6) |
|
48 | Lorenzo Dalla Porta | 20 | Italy | Moto3 28th (as of Nov. 6) |
||
Team Del Conca Gresini Moto3 | 88 | Jorge Martin | 19 | Spain | Moto3 4th (as of Nov. 6) |
|
21 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | 19 | Italy | Moto3 5th (as of Nov. 6) |
||
Marinelli Rivacold Snipers | 14 | Tony Arbolino | 17 | Italy | Moto3 33rd (as of Nov. 6) |
|
PETRONAS Sprinta Racing | 7 | Adam Norrodin | 19 | Malaysia | Moto3 17th (as of Nov. 6) |
|
71 | Ayumu Sasaki | 17 | Japan | Moto3 21st (as of Nov. 6) |
||
Honda Team Asia | 41 | Nakarin Atiratphuvapat | 21 | Thailand | Moto3 24th (as of Nov. 6) |
|
27 | Kaito Toba | 17 | Japan | Moto3 30th (as of Nov. 6) |
||
SIC58 Squadra Corse | 23 | Niccolò Antonelli | 21 | Italy | Moto3 18th (as of Nov. 6) |
|
24 | Tatsuki Suzuki | 20 | Japan | Moto3 14th (as of Nov. 6) |
2.FIM Trial World Championship Series (WCT)
Honda’s factory team, “Repsol Honda Team” will be represented by 11-time consecutive champion Toni Bou aiming to increase his already outstanding record, and WCT veteran in his 23rd season, Takahisa Fujinami, riding COTA4RT factory machines.
Team | Machine | No. | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2017 results |
Repsol Honda Team ★ |
COTA4RT ★ |
1 | Toni Bou ★ |
31 | Spain | WCT Champion |
3 | Takahisa Fujinami ★ |
37 | Japan | WCT 5th |
3.FIM Motocross World Championship Series (MXGP)
<MXGP: 450cc Class>
In the MXGP class, Tim Gajser, ranked 5th in the 2017 season, will be joined by 8th-ranked MX2 rider Brian Bogers to represent Honda’s factory team, “Team HRC.” The two riders will aim to take back the championship title on 2018 CRF450RW factory machines.
Team | Machine | No. | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2017 results |
Team HRC ★ |
CRF450RW ★ |
243 | Tim Gajser ★ |
21 | Slovenia | MXGP 5th |
TBA | Brian Bogers ★ |
21 | The Netherlands | MX2 8th |
<MX2: 250cc Class>
In the MX2 class, 13th-ranked Calvin Vlaanderen will ride for “Team HRC” on the CRF250R factory bike, aiming for the title.
Team | Machine | No. | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2017 results |
Team HRC ★ |
CRF250RW ★ |
10 | Calvin Vlaanderen ★ |
21 | South Africa | MX2 13th |
4.AMA*4 SuperCross World Championship Series (450SX)
<450SX: 450cc Class>
Honda’s factory team “Team Honda HRC” will aim to win the championship, with Ken Roczen and Cole Seely, riding 2018 CRF450R racing bikes.
Team | Machine | No. | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2017 results |
Team Honda HRC ★ |
CRF450R | 94 | Ken Roczen ★ |
23 | Germany | 450SX 20th |
14 | Cole Seely ★ |
27 | U.S.A. | 450SX 7th |
- *4AMA: American Motorcyclist Association
5.FIM Superbike World Championship Series (WSB)
Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team, supported by Honda Motor Europe Ltd. (Honda’s European regional headquarters), will compete in the series with current WSB rider Leon Camier riding the CBR1000RR SP2, aiming to capture the title.
Team | Machine | No. | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2017 results |
Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team | CBR1000RR SP2 | 2 | Leon Camier | 31 | United Kingdom | WSB 8th (as of Nov. 6) |
TBA | TBA | - | - | - |
The Dakar 2018
In its sixth year after returning to the Dakar, Honda’s factory team “Monster Energy Honda Team,” armed with 2018 CRF450 RALLY factory machines, will once again be represented by ace rider Joan Barreda in his 8th Dakar year, and Paulo Goncalves in his 10th, joined by Kevin Benavides, Michael Metge and Ricky Brabec, to win the title.
Team | Machine | No. | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2017 results |
Monster Energy Honda Team ★ |
CRF450 RALLY ★ |
11 | Joan Barreda ★ |
34 | Spain | Dakar 2017 5th |
17 | Paulo Goncalves ★ |
38 | Portugal | Dakar 2017 6th |
||
4 | Kevin Benavides ★ |
28 | Argentina | - | ||
15 | Michael Metge ★ |
38 | France | Dakar 2017 14th |
||
9 | Ricky Brabec ★ |
26 | U.S.A. | - |