Ambitious Honda eyes more world titles

Honda last week announced plans to participate in motorcycle world championship racing activities next year.

They will continue to compete in the premier classes of motorcycle road racing, the motocross and Trials World Championships, plus the Dakar Rally, with Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) factory teams aiming to win the titles in each category.

In the MotoGP class, five-time world champion and 2018 winner Marc Marquez will be joined by Jorge Lorenzo to race for Repsol Honda Team.

In the Motocross World Championship Series MXGP class, 2016 champion Tim Gajser and Brian Bogers will continue to represent Team HRC and in the TrialGP World Championship Series class, 12-time consecutive winner Toni Bou as well as Takahisa Fujinami, in his 24th year, will once again race for Repsol Honda Team.

In the Dakar Rally 2019, Kevin Benavides, Joan Barreda, Paulo Goncalves, Ricky Brabec and Jose Ignacio Cornejo will represent the Monster Energy Honda Team.

In addition to the manufacturer’s factory teams, Honda-supported teams will compete in major 2019 world championships.

In the Superbike World Championship Series, HRC will support the team operated by Althea Racing and Moriwaki Engineering, with Leon Camier and Ryuichi Kiyonari as their riders.

In the Endurance World Championship series, 2017-2018 winners FCC TSR Honda France will continue to be represented by Freddy Foray and Josh Hook, with Mike di Meglio also joining the team.

Last season’s overall third-placed team, Honda Endurance Racing, will continue their quest to win the EWC title.

In the 450SX class of the AMA SuperCross World Championship Series, held mainly in North America, American Honda’s factory team will continue with Ken Roczen and Cole Seely.

A HRC spokesperson said: “Racing is Honda’s driving force and through competing… it hones its technologies and its people. Honda will continue to realise ‘The Power of Dreams’ with its customers, in its products, services and racing activities.”

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