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Honda Racing Corporation has renewed its MotoGP partnership with Repsol through to the end of the 2024 season.
While the Japanese marque has fallen on hard times in the last three years, the Repsol Honda Team quickly became the standard-bearer upon the beginning of the relationship in 1995.
In fact, the squad won the 500cc riders’ championship in each of its first five years under that moniker, those being Mick Doohan’s latter four titles and the one for Alex Criville.
Their strike rate together is just above 50 percent, with 15 riders’ titles in 28 seasons thus far (noting that while the 2022 season is not complete, the riders’ championship will be won by a Ducati or Yamaha pilot), as well as 10 teams’ crowns and 18 constructors’.
In announcing the latest, two-year renewal, a point was made by Honda and the Spanish petroleum/energy company of MotoGP’s impending switch to sustainable fuels.
By 2024, all fuel in the premier class will have to be of minimum 40 percent non-fossil fuel origin, and 100 percent by 2027.
“It brings us great pride to once again continue our collaboration with Repsol, extending a long and fruitful partnership,” said Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation.
“We are not simply working as sponsor and manufacturer; we are a true team with a deep level of technical collaboration.
“With upcoming changes to fuel regulations, having a partner such as Repsol is key.
“Once again, we will work alongside them to achieve the best possible performance and results.
“Together we have celebrated good days and worked together to overcome the bad – we remain keenly focused on returning to the top of the world championship and continuing to be the reference in the fields of technology and competition.”
Marcos Fraga, Director of Communications and Corporate Marketing at Repsol, added, “Repsol are proud to extend our successful history with Honda.
“This collaboration has been, is and will be history in the world of motorcycle racing, and an example of continuous innovation, teamwork, and improvement.
“In our 28 years of partnership, we have faced many challenges together, but now we have an even more ambitious goal: To return to the top in a more sustainable way.
“Repsol have been working for years on decarbonisation and developing renewable fuels as an efficient and sustainable alternative for mobility.
“Being able to use top level competition as a testing ground for our products in these circumstances is an even more exciting challenge.”
Marc Marquez, a six-time world champion with Repsol Honda, is the marque’s leading rider in the standings, holding 12th position despite missing eight of the 19 rounds so far this year due to injury/lack of fitness.
The 20th and final round of the campaign takes place in Valencia on November 4-6.
