MotoGP: Honda and Repsol extend iconic title sponsorship deal

The factory Honda team has renewed its iconic sponsorship deal with Repsol for another two seasons.

The new deal means that the collaboration will celebrate its 30^th anniversary in the 2024 MotoGP season, having first entered the series for the 1995 500cc campaign.

Since then, the famous orange, red and white (as well as black and blue at certain times of the partnership) livery has become one of the most recognisable designs throughout motorsport.

The Repsol Honda team has amassed 15 Riders’ titles between Mick Doohan (1995-1998), Alex Criville (1999), Valentino Rossi (2002-2003), Nicky Hayden (2006), Casey Stoner (2011) and Marc Marquez (2013-2014 / 2016-2019).

Despite their success, it’s been much tougher for HRC in recent years following the serious arm injury suffered by Marc Marquez at Jerez in the 2020 season opener. That injury, and the setbacks and complications that followed, ruled him out of the entire season and the start of the following campaign.

Should Marquez or Pol Espargaro not be victorious in the 2022 season finale at Valencia next month, it will mean that the team will have endured its second winless season in the last three years. Repsol Honda relied on a still less than 100% Marquez winning three races in 2021.

The team has recorded only two podiums this season: Espargaro’s third in the opening round of the year in Qatar, and Marquez’s second at Phillip Island two weeks’ ago. Honda are currently last in the Manufacturers’ Championship, 21 points behind KTM.

Despite missing eight races this season, firstly through injury after crashing during the Indonesian Grand Prix weekend and the eye problems that followed, and then following his decision to undergo a fourth operation on his injured arm, Marquez will finish 2022 as the top Honda rider.

Marquez is currently 12^th in the championship, 56 points clear of Espargaro in 16^th. LCR Honda duo Alex Marquez and Takaaki Nakagami are a further six and 10 points back respectively.

2020 MotoGP World Champion Joan Mir will line-up alongside Marquez next season following the departure of Espargaro to Tech3 GASGAS. Mir joins following Suzuki’s decision to withdraw from MotoGP.

Alex Marquez will also depart the HRC family for Gresini Racing Ducati in 2023. The younger of the Marquez brothers will be replaced by Mir’s current teammate, Alex Rins.