Repsol Honda is the official
factory team
A works team (sometimes factory team, company team) is a sports team that is financed and run by a manufacturer or other business. Sometimes, works teams contain or are entirely made up of employees of the supporting company.
Association footb ...
of the
Honda Racing Corporation
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is a division of the Honda, Honda Motor Company formed in 1982. The company combines participation in Motorcycle racing, motorcycle races throughout the world with the development of racing machines. Its racing act ...
in the
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
class of
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
(World Championship
road racing
Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...
), backed by principal sponsor
Repsol
Repsol S.A.
El Nuevo Herald, 2012-05-31[Originally an init ...]
.
History
1990s
In the team entered a three rider lineup with
Mick Doohan
Michael Sydney Doohan (born 4 June 1965) is an Australian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion, who won five consecutive 500 cc World Championships.
Biography
Originally from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Doohan attended ...
,
Àlex Crivillé
Àlex Crivillé Tapias (born 4 March 1970) is a Spanish former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In 1992 he became the first Spaniard to win a 500cc Grand Prix and, in 1999 he became the first Spaniard to win the 500cc World Championship.
Bio ...
and
Shinichi Ito
born in Kakuda, Miyagi, Japan) is a retired professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He has raced extensively in Japanese and International championships. Ito has competed in the All Japan Road Race Championship, and won the Japanese 50 ...
riding the
Honda NSR500
Japanese Grand Prix 1993 ">1993 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix">Japanese Grand Prix 1993
The Honda NSR500 is a road racing motorcycle created by HRC ( Honda Racing Corporation) and debuted in 1984 for the Grand Prix motorcycle racing's 500 ...
. Doohan won the
World Championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
for the second time in a row in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, with one race left for the end of the season with seven race wins, Crivillé finished the season fourth with one race win while Ito finished fifth overall. The team expanded to four riders in ; Doohan and Crivillé rode the NSR500 while
Tadayuki Okada
Tadayuki 'Taddy' Okada (born February 13, 1967) is a Japanese former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was runner-up in the 1994 250cc and in the 1997 500cc World Championship.
Early career
Okada won the 250cc All Japan Road Ra ...
and Ito rode the
Honda NSR500V
The Honda NSR500V is a race motorcycle from the Honda NSR series. It was designed and manufactured by HRC and debuted in 1996 for the Grand Prix motorcycle racing's 500 cc class. The bike was conceived by Honda to be a viable machine for p ...
. Doohan won his third World Championship with eight race wins and Crivillé finished runner-up with two wins. Okada finished seventh and Ito twelfth.
The four rider line-up continued in with Doohan, Crivillé and Okada on the NSR500 and
Takuma Aoki
is a Japanese former road racer of motorcycles at Grand Prix level. He began his Grand Prix career in 1993. From to , Aoki competed in the World Superbike Championship, winning one race in that series. In 1996, he won All Japan Championship ...
on the NSR500V. Repsol Honda won all 15 races of the season with Doohan winning twelve races, and breaking
Giacomo Agostini's record for victories in one season, on his way to his fourth World Championship. Okada finished runner-up with a race win, Crivillé finished fourth with two wins but had to miss five races after a serious crash at
Assen
Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
while Aoki finished fifth overall. Repsol Honda riders took all of the podium positions at four events, in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
For , Doohan, Crivillé and Okada continued with the team riding the NSR500 and
Sete Gibernau
Manuel "Sete" Gibernau Bultó (born 15 December 1972) is a Spanish former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who is a 9-time 500cc/MotoGP race winner and a two-time overall runner-up in and . His racing career spans three different ...
joined them riding the NSR500V. Doohan continued to dominate the championship with eight wins and was crowned World Champion for the fifth time in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, in front of his home fans and with one race left in the season. Crivillé finished third overall with two wins, while Okada had to miss three races after breaking his wrist during practice of the
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix ( it, Gran Premio d'Italia) is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been he ...
and finished eighth overall. Gibernau finished eleventh.
The team line-up remained the same for , with Doohan, Crivillé, Okada and Gibernau all returning. During qualifying for the
Spanish Grand Prix
The Spanish Grand Prix ( es, Gran Premio de España, ca, Gran Premi d'Espanya) is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating it ...
, Doohan had a serious crash and ultimately caused his retirement from the sport. Crivillé went on to win six races and clinch the World Championship in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
with one race left in the season. Okada finished third overall with three race wins. Gibernau – who started the season on the NSR500V before replacing Doohan on the NSR500 – finished fifth overall. The team managed an all Repsol Honda riders podium at
Catalunya
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
with Crivillé first, Okada second and Gibernau third.
2000s
Crivillé, Okada and Gibernau remained with the team for all on NSR500 motorcycles. was a difficult year for the Repsol Honda Team, as Crivillé only got one win and finished ninth overall, Okada finished eleventh and Gibernau fifteenth. In , Crivillé was joined by
Tohru Ukawa
(born May 18, 1973) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan.
Ukawa began his Grand Prix career in 1994, racing in the 250cc world championships. He finished second to Valentino Rossi in the 1999 World Championship. In 2002, ...
. The season was not much better than as Crivillé could only manage two podiums and finished the season eighth, while Ukawa finished tenth with a single podium finish.
![Motogp rossi 300](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Motogp_rossi_300.jpg)
In , the debut year of the new
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
class,
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi (; ; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed ''The Doctor'', he is widely considered to be one of the greatest motorcyc ...
joined the team alongside Ukawa riding the new
Honda RC211V
The Honda RC211V is a 990 cc (60 cu in) four-stroke race motorcycle from HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) developed in 2001 to replace the two-stroke Honda NSR500.
It was developed as a direct result of major changes to the regulations for the Worl ...
, the only two riders to use the new motorcycle until near the end of the season when
Alex Barros
Alexandre Barros (born October 18, 1970) is a Brazilian former professional motorcycle road racer who is a 7-time 500cc/ MotoGP race winner and also a race winner in Superbike World Championship. After a long Grand Prix career, in 2006 he move ...
and
Daijiro Kato
was a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, the 2001 250cc world champion, and the 2000 and 2002 Suzuka 8 Hours winner. He died as a result of injuries sustained after a crash during the 2003 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit ...
were also given the RC211V. Rossi dominated the season and with eleven race wins become World Champion with four races left for the end of the season. Ukawa with one victory and eight podium finishes, finished third overall. 2002
AMA Superbike Champion Nicky Hayden
Nicholas Patrick Hayden (July 30, 1981 May 22, 2017), nicknamed "The Kentucky Kid", was an American professional motorcycle racer who won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006. Hayden began racing motorcycles at a young age. He began his roa ...
joined Rossi in . Rossi with nine wins and finishing on the podium at all the races, became World Champion for the third time in a row with two races left in the season. Hayden finished fifth overall with two podium finishes.
Following Rossi's departure,
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
veteran
Alex Barros
Alexandre Barros (born October 18, 1970) is a Brazilian former professional motorcycle road racer who is a 7-time 500cc/ MotoGP race winner and also a race winner in Superbike World Championship. After a long Grand Prix career, in 2006 he move ...
joined Hayden in . Barros finished the season fourth with four podiums and Hayden eighth with two podiums. Both riders got podium finishes but no race wins. For
Max Biaggi
Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi (; born 26 June 1971) is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in World Superbikes, he is one of only two ri ...
joined Hayden in the team's line-up. Hayden got his first
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
win in his home race, the
United States Grand Prix
The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event that has been held on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Grand Prix later became part of the Formula One World Championship. , the Grand Prix has been held ...
, he finished third overall. Biaggi was fifth with four podiums.
For , Hayden was joined by
250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa
Daniel Pedrosa Ramal (born 29 September 1985) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle racer who retired from regular competition after the season. He grew up in Castellar del Vallès, a village near Sabadell. He is a ...
. Hayden led the championship for most of the season but at the
Portuguese Grand Prix
The Portuguese Grand Prix (''Grande Prémio de Portugal'') is a motorsports event that was first held in 1951 as a sportscar event, and then intermittently disappearing for many years before being revived again. In 1964 event was held as a spo ...
, Pedrosa recklessly crashed into him. Both riders were out of the race and Rossi took the championship lead with one race left to go. In the last race of the season, Rossi fell off his motorcycle on lap 5 trying to make up for a poor start. Hayden had a conservative race finishing a safe 3rd and thus became World Champion. He got two race wins and eight other podium finishes. Pedrosa finished fifth with two race wins and six other podium finishes.
The same line-up remained for . The team used the new 800cc
Honda RC212V
The Honda RC212V is a Japanese motorcycle created for road racing in the MotoGP series. Officially introduced on 30 October 2006 as the RC211V replacement in the MotoGP series, it was developed by Honda Racing Corporation ''(HRC)'' throughout 20 ...
. The new motorcycle did not have the expected success right away but later in the season the motorcycle was improved. Pedrosa got two race wins and finished the season runner up, while Hayden could only manage three podium finishes and finished the season eighth overall. For , Pedrosa and Hayden made up the rider line-up, with Mike Leitner and Pete Benson as Pedrosa and Hayden's chief mechanics, respectively, and Kazuhiko Yamano as team manager. During the season Pedrosa switched to
Bridgestone
is a Japanese multinational tire manufacturer founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (1889–1976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of , meaning 'stone bridge' in Japan ...
tyres and a wall was placed between the garages of Pedrosa and Hayden to prevent observation of tyre data. A wall between the same team's garages was first instituted by Rossi at the beginning of the season between himself and his teammate on Michelins,
Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three MotoGP World Championships (, and ) and two 250cc World Championships ( and ).
After winning the 2006 a ...
.
For , Pedrosa and
Andrea Dovizioso were the team riders.
2010s
For , the HRC Team Director was Kazuhiko Yamano, overseeing all operations including the factory teams and satellite teams. Toshiyuki Yamaji replaced Yamano as Team Manager and directed the entire Repsol Honda team.
Alberto Puig was the Pedrosa Team Manager and Gianni Berti was the Dovizioso Team Manager. Shinichi Kokubu was the Grand Prix Technical Director, overseeing the six RC212V machines in MotoGP.
![Casey Stoner - Repsol Honda Team (5480226329)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Casey_Stoner_-_Repsol_Honda_Team_%285480226329%29.jpg)
For ,
Shuhei Nakamoto Shuhei Nakamoto (, ''Nakamoto Shūhei''; born 29 April 1957) is the vice-president of Honda Racing Corporation.
Career
Nakamoto joined the Honda Racing Corporation in 1983 and his initial work was based around the corporation's motorcycle racing ...
was HRC Vice President and directed all Honda MotoGP teams. Shinichi Kokubu was Technical Director, and Livio Suppo was HRC Communication and marketing director. Pedrosa, Dovizioso and
Casey Stoner
Casey Joel Stoner (born 16 October 1985) is an Australian retired professional motorcycle racer, and a two-time MotoGP World Champion, in and . During his MotoGP career, Stoner raced for the factory teams of Ducati and Honda, winning a tit ...
were the team riders. The team also had sponsorship from PT Astra Honda Motor, through their ''One Heart.'' and ''Satu Hati.'' brands. For , Pedrosa and Stoner were the team riders. For , Pedrosa continued to ride for the team while
Marc Márquez
Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, who has raced for Honda's factory team since his MotoGP debut in 2013. Born in Cervera, Catalonia, Spain, he is nicknamed the 'Ant of Cer ...
was his team-mate, with Suppo as the Team Principal. The team lost their ''One Heart.'' and ''Satu Hati.'' sponsorship.
In , Márquez became the youngest rider to win ten successive races in
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
. The team's ''One Heart.'' and ''Satu Hati.'' sponsorship returned. For , Pedrosa and Márquez remained with the team.
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...
, a long-term sponsor that was seen on the riders' helmets, became a main sponsor for the team.
Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three MotoGP World Championships (, and ) and two 250cc World Championships ( and ).
After winning the 2006 a ...
signed a two-year deal with Repsol Honda to be a factory rider until the end of 2020 season although he retired at the end of 2019 to be replaced by Alex Márquez. He replaced Dani Pedrosa, who retired following the
2018 MotoGP season and signed with KTM for a test rider role in the succeeding years.
2020s
Alex Márquez replaced
Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three MotoGP World Championships (, and ) and two 250cc World Championships ( and ).
After winning the 2006 a ...
who retired at the end of , Alex Marquez moved up to MotoGP after becoming the
Moto2
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of ...
World Champion in the season,
Marc Márquez
Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, who has raced for Honda's factory team since his MotoGP debut in 2013. Born in Cervera, Catalonia, Spain, he is nicknamed the 'Ant of Cer ...
remained for the 2020 season after he signed a contract with Repsol Honda till the end of the 2024 season, but Marquez was replaced by
Stefan Bradl after he sustained an injury to his right arm in the
2020 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix. Alex Márquez finished on the podium twice in 2020, scoring two second-place finishes in the
2020 French motorcycle Grand Prix and the
2020 Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix.
Marc Márquez
Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, who has raced for Honda's factory team since his MotoGP debut in 2013. Born in Cervera, Catalonia, Spain, he is nicknamed the 'Ant of Cer ...
returned to Repsol Honda for after not competing in the 2020 season due to an injury,
Pol Espargaró
Pol Espargaró Villà (born 10 June 1991) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer who for 2023 will ride in the MotoGP class for the newly named GasGas Factory Racing team, a development of Tech3. He previously spent two years with Repsol Hond ...
also signed for the season leaving
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is the factory team of KTM active in the MotoGP World Championship supported by sponsor, drinks manufacturer Red Bull.
History Development of the RC16
KTM have a well established presence amongst off-road motorcycle ...
at the end of 2020.
Grand Prix motorcycle results
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
MotoGP results
By rider
By year
Notes
References
External links
* http://world.honda.com/MotoGP Official Honda website for motorcycle grand prix teams
* http://world.honda.com/HRC/repsolhondateam/index.html
{{MotoGP World Teams' Champions
Motorcycle racing teams
Motorsport in Japan
Motorsport in England
Aalst, Belgium
Red Bull sports teams
h
Motorcycle racing teams established in 1995
1995 establishments in Japan
ms:Repsol Honda