The Factory Honda MotoGP Team has revealed plans to showcase the colors of its 2026 bike at an official launch event scheduled for early February. Honda is entering its second year with Castrol as the title sponsor, ending its 30-year partnership with Repsol. This change means that Joan Mir and Luca Marini’s factory RC213V will feature an entirely new look for the 2025 season, replacing Repsol’s iconic orange with Castrol’s red and green.
The 2025 season marked noticeable progress for Honda, highlighted by LCR’s Johann Zarco ending a two-year victory drought at the French GP. The factory team also secured multiple podium finishes during the latter half of the season, with 2020 world champion Joan Mir reaching the podium in the dry races held in Japan and Malaysia. These improvements will help elevate Honda out of the D ranking on the MotoGP concession table, putting them on equal footing with C-ranked teams like Aprilia and KTM. Consequently, Honda will face restrictions on in-season testing with race riders and limitations on engine development.
Honda will officially unveil the final livery for its 1000cc MotoGP bike via an online presentation on February 2nd, just days before pre-season testing begins in Sepang. The factory team’s lineup will remain unchanged for 2026, with Luca Marini extending his contract and Joan Mir entering the last year of his two-year deal. Despite early uncertainties about his future, Marini, Honda’s second-best rider last year and valued for his analytical input, secured a contract extension through 2026.
Honda’s recent performance improvements have even attracted attention from top riders like Pedro Acosta and Jorge Martin. Aprilia’s CEO, Massimo Rivola, disclosed that Martin had received a strong offer from Honda for 2026, though contract issues led Martin to remain with Aprilia while Acosta committed to KTM.
Fan Take: This news signals a promising resurgence for Honda in MotoGP, bringing fresh competition and fresh colors to the grid. For racing fans, Honda’s progress and rider stability mean more thrilling battles and the potential shake-up of the established order in the upcoming seasons.
