Honda Motor : 2018 Motorsports Program Overview

In MotoGP, the premier class of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix, Marc Márquez, the four-time World Champion who won the championship in 2017 for the second consecutive year, and Dani Pedrosa, a 13-year veteran in this class, will continue to race for Repsol Honda Team, a Honda factory team^*3, riding the 2018 model of the RC213V factory machine.

In addition, four other riders will compete in MotoGP, namely Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda CASTROL), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU) who is moving up to the MotoGP class this season, Franco Morbidelli and Thomas Lüthi (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS).

With a total of three teams with six riders, Honda will strive to win the MotoGP 'Triple Crown' - rider, constructor and team championships.

In the Moto3 class, where Honda won the championship last year, Honda will supply its 2018 model of the NSF250RW factory machine for 7 teams/13 riders and strive to win the championship for the second consecutive year.

In the MXGP class, the premier class of the FIM Motocross World Championship, Tim Gajser, who finished the 2017 season in 5th place and Brian Bogers, who newly joined the team this season from the MX2 class, will race for Team HRC, Honda's factory team. Both riders will ride the 2018 model of the CRF450RW factory machine and strive to regain the championship title. Moreover, in the MX2 class, Calvin Vlaanderen will race for Team HRC, riding a CRF250RW works machine and vie for the title.

In the FIM Trial World Championship (WCT), as with last year, Toni Bou, the reigning champion for the last 11 seasons, and Takahisa Fujinami, a 24-year veteran in WCT will race for Repsol Honda Team, a Honda factory team, riding the COTA4RT factory machine.

In the 450SX class of the AMA^*4 Supercross, an FIM World Championship, Cole Seely and Ken Roczen will race for Team Honda HRC, Honda's factory team operated by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., a Honda subsidiary in the U.S. With the 2018 model of CRF450R, the riders will vie for the championship.

In the FIM Superbike World Championship (WSB), Leon Camier and Jake Gagne will race with the CBR1000RR SP2-based racing machine for Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team supported by Honda Motor Europe Ltd., a Honda subsidiary in the U.K.

In the Suzuka 8 hours Endurance Road Race, which is the final round of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC), starting this year's race, Takumi Takahashi will race for Team HRC, Honda's factory team. Honda will select other riders for the team from among Honda riders who compete in the world and regional championships.

In the SS600 class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC), Md Zaqhwan Zaidi who finished the 2017 season in second place, Azroy Anuar, who newly joined from IATC and Tomoyoshi Koyama, also new addition to the team who captured second place in the AP250 class in 2017, will race for MuSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing, a team striving to regain both the team and rider titles. Moreover, in the AP250 class, Astra Honda Racing Team will race for their consecutive championship.

In the JSB1000 class of the MFJ All-Japan Road Race Championship (JRR), starting this season, Takumi Takahashi will begin racing for Team HRC, Honda's factory team, riding a CBR1000RR SP2-based racing machine. In addition, Sodo Hamahara (Team Sakurai Honda), Tatsuya Yamaguchi (Team SuP Dream Honda) will race from this season. Yuki Takahashi and Ryuichi Kiyonari (MORIWAKI MOTUL RACING), Kosuke Akiyoshi (au & Teluru MotoUP Racing) will continue to race in this class for their respective teams. Moreover, Ryo Mizuno (MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO.Honda), the 2017 J-GP2 champion, will move up and face the JSB1000 class and Md Zaqhwan Zaidi will race for a new team, Honda Asia-Dream Racing.

In the IA1 class of the MFJ All-Japan Motocross Championship(JMX), Kei Yamamoto, the 2017 champion, will team up with Akira Narita who has won 11 championships in JMX series and race for Team HRC, Honda's factory team, riding the CRF450RW factory machine, and strive to win a second consecutive championship title in this class. Moreover, in the IA2 class, Chihiro Notsuka, who has won IA2 championship in 2016 season, will race for Team HRC.

In the IAS class of the MFJ All-Japan Trial Championship (JTR), Tomoyuki Ogawa, who won his seventh championship title last year, will race for HRC CLUB MITANI riding the RTL300R and vie for the championship title for the sixth consecutive year, which is unprecedented in the IAS class.