Repsol Honda

This article is about Honda's factory MotoGP team. For Honda's motorcycle racing division, see Honda Racing Corporation.
Repsol Honda Team
2015 name Repsol Honda Team
Base Aalst, Belgium
Principal Shuhei Nakamoto
Rider(s) 26. Spain Dani Pedrosa
93. Spain Marc Márquez
Motorcycle Honda RC213V
Tyres Michelin
Riders' Championships 13
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 Mick Doohan
1999 Àlex Crivillé
2001, 2002, 2003 Valentino Rossi
2006 Nicky Hayden
2011 Casey Stoner
2013, 2014, 2016 Marc Márquez

Repsol Honda is the official factory team of Repsol S.A. and the Honda Racing Corporation in the MotoGP World Championship.

History

1990s

In 1995 the team entered a 3 rider lineup with Mick Doohan, Àlex Crivillé and Shinichi Ito riding the Honda NSR500. Doohan won the World Championship for the second time in a row in Argentina, 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 1996; Doohan and Crivillé rode the NSR500 while Tadayuki Okada and Ito rode the Honda NSR500V. 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 1997 with Doohan, Crivillé and Okada on the NSR500 and Takuma Aoki 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 while Aoki finished fifth overall. Repsol Honda riders took all of the podium positions at four events, in Japan, Spain, Germany and Indonesia.

For 1998, Doohan, Crivillé and Okada continued with the team riding the NSR500 and Sete Gibernau 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, 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 and finished eighth overall. Gibernau finished eleventh.

The team line-up remained the same for 1999, with Doohan, Crivillé, Okada and Gibernau all returning. During qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, 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 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 with Crivillé first, Okada second and Gibernau third.

2000s

Crivillé, Okada and Gibernau remained with the team for 2000 all on NSR500 motorcycles. 2000 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 2001, Crivillé was joined by Tohru Ukawa. The season was not much better than 2000 as Crivillé could only manage two podiums and finished the season eighth, while Ukawa finished tenth with a single podium finish.

Valentino Rossi won three world titles with the team, in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

In 2002, the debut year of the new MotoGP class, Valentino Rossi joined the team alongside Ukawa riding the new Honda RC211V, the only two riders to use the new motorcycle until near the end of the season when Alex Barros and Daijiro Kato 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 joined Rossi in 2003. 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 veteran Alex Barros joined Hayden in 2004. Barros finished the season fourth and Hayden fifth. Both riders got podium finishes but no race wins. For 2005 Max Biaggi joined Hayden in the team's line-up. Hayden got his first MotoGP win in his home race, the United States Grand Prix, he finished third overall. Biaggi was fifth with four podiums.

For 2006, Hayden was joined by 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa. Hayden led the championship for most of the season but at the Portuguese Grand Prix, 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 five other podium finishes.

The same line-up remained for 2007. The team used the new 800cc Honda RC212V. The new motorcycle did not have the expected success right away but later in the season the motorycle was improved. Pedrosa got two race wins and finished the season runner up, while Hayden could only manage podium finishes and finished the season eighth overall. For 2008, 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 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.[1]

For 2009, Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso were the team riders.

2010s

For 2010, 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.[2]

Casey Stoner racing for Repsol Honda at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.

For 2011, Shuhei Nakamoto 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 were the team riders.[3] The team also had sponsorship from PT Astra Honda Motor, through their One Heart. and Satu Hati. brands. For 2012, Pedrosa and Stoner were the team riders. For 2013, Pedrosa continued to ride for the team while Marc Márquez was his team-mate, with Suppo as the Team Principal. The team lost their One Heart. and Satu Hati. sponsorship.

In 2014, Márquez became the youngest rider to win ten successive races in MotoGP. The team's One Heart. and Satu Hati. sponsorship returned. For 2015, Pedrosa and Márquez remained with the team. Red Bull, a long term sponsor that was seen on the riders' helmets, became a main sponsor for the team.

MotoGP results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Bike Tyres Riders 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Points Pos.
2002 Honda RC211V M JPN SAF ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR RIO PAC MAL AUS VAL 564 1st
Italy Valentino Rossi 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Ret 1 1 2 2 1 2
Japan Tohru Ukawa Ret 1 3 2 3 2 5 3 3 3 Ret 4 4 3 5
2003 Honda RC211V M JPN SAF ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR RIO PAC MAL AUS VAL 487 1st
Italy Valentino Rossi 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 3 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1
United States Nicky Hayden 7 7 Ret 12 12 9 11 8 5 6 9 5 3 4 3 16
2004 Honda RC211V M SAF ESP FRA ITA CAT NED RIO GER GBR CZE POR JPN QAT MAL AUS VAL 282 4th
Brazil Alex Barros 4 3 7 6 Ret Ret 5 2 9 Ret 3 4 4 3 5 6
United States Nicky Hayden 5 5 11 Ret Ret 5 3 3 4 Ret Ret 5 4 6 Ret
2005 Honda RC211V M ESP POR CHN FRA ITA CAT NED USA GBR GER CZE JPN MAL QAT AUS TUR VAL 379 2nd
Italy Max Biaggi 7 3 5 5 2 6 6 4 Ret 4 3 2 6 Ret Ret 12 6
United States Nicky Hayden Ret 7 9 6 6 5 4 1 Ret 3 5 7 4 3 2 3 2
2006 Honda RC211V M ESP QAT TUR CHN FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER USA CZE MAL AUS JPN POR VAL 467 1st
Spain Dani Pedrosa 2 6 14 1 3 4 Ret 3 1 4 2 3 3 15 7 Ret 4
United States Nicky Hayden 3 2 3 2 5 3 2 1 7 3 1 9 4 5 5 Ret 3
2007 Honda RC212V M QAT ESP TUR CHN FRA ITA CAT GBR NED GER USA CZE SMR POR JPN AUS MAL VAL 369 2nd
Spain Dani Pedrosa 3 2 Ret 4 4 2 3 8 4 1 5 4 Ret 2 Ret 4 3 1
United States Nicky Hayden 8 7 7 12 Ret 10 11 17 3 3 Ret 3 13 4 9 Ret 9 8
2008 Honda RC212V QAT ESP POR CHN FRA ITA CAT GBR NED GER USA CZE SMR IND JPN AUS MAL VAL 404 2nd
B Spain Dani Pedrosa 8 3 Ret 2 2
M 3 1 2 2 4 3 1 3 2 Ret 15 4
United States Nicky Hayden 10 4 Ret 6 8 13 8 7 4 13 5 DNS 2 5 3 4 5
Japan Tadayuki Okada 14
2009 Honda RC212V B QAT JPN ESP FRA ITA CAT NED USA GER GBR CZE IND SMR POR AUS MAL VAL 394 2nd
Spain Dani Pedrosa 11 3 2 3 Ret 6 Ret 1 3 9 2 10 3 3 3 2 1
Italy Andrea Dovizioso 5 5 8 4 4 4 Ret Ret Ret 1 4 4 4 7 6 Ret 8
2010 Honda RC212V B QAT ESP FRA ITA GBR NED CAT GER USA CZE IND SMR ARA JPN MAL AUS POR VAL 451 2nd
Spain Dani Pedrosa 7 2 5 1 8 2 2 1 Ret 2 1 1 2 DNS DNS 8 7
Italy Andrea Dovizioso 3 6 3 3 2 5 14 5 4 Ret 5 4 Ret 2 2 Ret 3 5
2011 Honda RC212V B QAT ESP POR FRA CAT GBR NED ITA GER USA CZE IND SMR ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL 682 1st
Australia Casey Stoner 1 Ret 3 1 1 1 2 3 3 1 1 1 3 1 3 1 C 1
Spain Dani Pedrosa 3 2 1 Ret 8 1 3 Ret 2 2 2 1 4 C 5
Italy Andrea Dovizioso 4 12 4 2 4 2 3 2 4 5 2 5 5 Ret 5 3 C 3
Japan Hiroshi Aoyama 8
Japan Shinichi Ito 13
2012 Honda RC213V B QAT ESP POR FRA CAT GBR NED GER ITA USA IND CZE SMR ARA JPN MAL AUS VAL 603 1st
Australia Casey Stoner 3 1 1 3 4 2 1 Ret 8 1 4 5 3 1 3
Spain Dani Pedrosa 2 3 3 4 2 3 2 1 2 3 1 1 Ret 1 1 1 Ret 1
United Kingdom Jonathan Rea 8 7
2013 Honda RC213V B QAT AME ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GER USA IND CZE GBR SMR ARA MAL AUS JPN VAL 634 1st
Spain Marc Márquez 3 1 2 3 Ret 3 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 DSQ 2 3
Spain Dani Pedrosa 4 2 1 1 2 2 4 DNS 5 2 2 3 3 Ret 1 2 3 2
2014 Honda RC213V B QAT AME ARG ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GER IND CZE GBR SMR ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL 608 1st
Spain Marc Márquez 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 15 13 2 Ret 1 1
Spain Dani Pedrosa 3 2 2 3 5 4 3 3 2 4 1 4 3 14 4 Ret Ret 3
2015 Honda RC213V B QAT AME ARG ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GER IND CZE GBR SMR ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL 453 2nd
Spain Marc Márquez 5 1 Ret 2 4 Ret Ret 2 1 1 2 Ret 1 Ret 4 1 Ret 2
Spain Dani Pedrosa 6 16 4 3 8 2 4 5 5 9 2 1 5 1 3
Japan Hiroshi Aoyama 11 Ret Ret
2016 Honda RC213V M QAT ARG AME ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GER AUT CZE GBR SMR ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL 454 2nd
Spain Marc Márquez 3 1 1 3 13 2 2 2 1 5 3 4 4 1 1 Ret 11 2
Spain Dani Pedrosa 5 3 Ret 4 4 4 3 12 6 7 12 5 1 6 DNS Ret
Japan Hiroshi Aoyama 15 16
United States Nicky Hayden 17

* Season still in progress.

References

  1. ↑ "Brivio: Fiat Yamaha wall stays, but the competitiveness is normal". MotoGP.com. 2008-11-27. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
  2. ↑ "Honda 2010 Motorsports Overview". Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 2010-02-19. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  3. ↑ "Repsol Honda Team". Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
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