Honda completed the MotoGP livery spree of 2026 with its launch, as Marco Bezzecchi said yes to extension of Aprilia marraige.
Honda Racing Corporation unveiled the colours in which Luca Marini and Joan Mir will contest the 2026 MotoGP World Championship as they target further success. A year on from the debut of the Honda HRC Castrol team, Honda’s factory effort has gone from strength to strength in a rapid turnaround in fortunes. Tireless work by Honda HRC’s engineers, partners and riders throughout 2025 saw the Honda RC213V earn its best performance since 2019. With momentum behind them, Honda HRC Castrol have clear targets to achieve during the 2026 World Championship campaign while continuing to bring excitement to fans around the world.
Consistency is again the key as Luca Marini and Joan Mir enter their third year together inside the factory team, the pairing now a proven combination and offering a holistic approach to racing. Now in the second year of collaboration, the partnership between Honda HRC and Castrol produced impressive technical and performance increases during its first 12 months. Continuing this spectacular rate of development remains at the forefront for both parties as they target further technical excellence and performance gains from fuels and lubricants.
Now in his third year with Honda, Luca Marini’s speed and metronomic consistency only progressed more throughout 2025 and will be vital for the 2026 campaign. Growing race-by-race aboard the ever-improving Honda RC213V, the 28-year old’s steady hand saw him miss the top ten just twice in the second half of the year as he battled for top Honda billings until the very end. His objective for this season is to take another step and fight for podiums and victories.
Having achieved a thrilling first podium as an HRC rider at Honda’s home in Motegi, Japan and a second at the Malaysian Grand Prix, Joan Mir enters 2026 with renewed motivations. The 2020 MotoGP World Champion showed his undeniable speed on multiple occasions and is determined to make those stand out performances a regular occurrence during 2026. Like his teammate, challenging at the front week in and week out is the objective.
The Honda RC213V will enter its final year of competition proudly wearing the iconic tricolore of Honda HRC again. Red representing passion for racing, Blue representing the quest for technical excellence and White for motorsports fans. These colours further unify and strengthen Honda HRC’s presence across the top levels of two-wheeled motorsport and distinguish the Factory Teams. The design is bolstered once more by the presence of the striking appearance of title partner Castrol, the collaboration continuing to go from strength to strength.
2026 also marks the 60th anniversary of Honda’s entry into the premier class – the 500cc RC181 starting a lineage which has led to the 1,000cc RC213V. The historic year will be punctuated with a several celebrations to commemorate the 314 Premier Class wins and more than 2,300 podiums across all classes that Honda currently have to their name. Now Honda HRC Castrol prepare for the first pre-season test at the Sepang International Circuit, February 03 – 05 with the first Grand Prix of the year already looming. The countdown to the first lights out of the year at the Thai Grand Prix, February 27 – March 01 is on.
Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation: “It is a pleasure to help reveal the 2026 Honda HRC Castrol team and highlight our global effort to return to the top of the MotoGP World Championship. It’s a special year for Honda HRC as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of our first participation in the premier class, we are looking forward to commemorating this historic moment throughout 2026. Everyone in this team plays their part, as do all of our partners and I want to deeply thank everyone involved in the progress we made in 2025. Our target for this season is clear; we must continue on the trajectory we had and consistently battle at the front. Luca Marini has shown a steady hand and a keen technical mind with Joan Mir’s determination and resilience inspiring us all. I would also like to commend Castrol for their efforts as our partnership continues to strengthen.”
Sandeep Sangwan, Chief Marketing Officer, Castrol: “It’s great to see the continuation of Castrol’s strong legacy in racing with Honda Motorcycles, and we are thrilled to continue our partnership with Honda as part of the Honda HRC Castrol team in 2026. As a brand that values superior performance and technical innovation, we see a natural alignment with Honda HRC as we race together. This partnership and MotoGP provides a powerful platform for Castrol to connect even more closely with motorcycle racing fans and bike enthusiasts and Castrol wishes the team lots of success for the upcoming 2026 MotoGP World Championship season.”
Alberto Puig, Team Manager, Honda HRC Castrol: “The DNA of this company is racing. What prevails, what finally is going to make the direction is the passion to win and the passion for racing that this company has shown throughout history. The foundation of Honda for 2026 is what we’ve done in 2025, there were solid developments on the technical side, and both riders were able to make progress. Marini’s consistency was crucial in graduating to a new Concession Rank and Mir was able to show his talent as a champion with two great podiums.”
Luca Marini 10, Honda HRC Castrol: “It’s a pleasure to begin another season with Honda HRC Castrol. The progress we showed in 2025 was incredibly rewarding and all winter I have been working to improve myself and begin this new season in 2026. Our objectives are clear: to be there fighting near the front and take full advantage of any and all opportunities which are presented to us. Everyone in this project has done their homework over the winter and I am itching to get back on the Honda RC213V and ride again. In the last year of the 1,000cc we need to finish in a good way and enjoy the beautiful moments along the way.”
Joan Mir 36, Honda HRC Castrol: “Another beautiful bike that I am proud to ride, being part of Honda HRC Castrol is something very special. In 2026 we need to find the consistency we struggled with last year, we showed that both myself and the Honda RC213V have the speed and ability to make Honda HRC proud. These two pre-seasons test will be very important to prepare everything well for the start of the year, I am certain that all the Honda HRC engineers have been working diligently during the winter. There is no time to wait around, we need to be working from the first lap to achieve our maximum and return Honda HRC to where it belongs.”
MotoGP 2026 reveals so far –
Marco Bezzecchi sign with Aprilia in multi-year deal –
After receiving a proposal at the end of the race in Valencia, the RS-GP Albarosa – as Marco called her at the beginning of his adventure with Aprilia – has said yes. Their union is now confirmed. Below is the contract that governs the terms, maintenance, sporting and emotional management of their relationship, as well as their reciprocal rights and responsibilities on and off track.
PROPERTY AGREEMENT
MARCO AND ALBAROSA agree to share all components, replacement parts, aerodynamic upgrades, wheels, tyres, fuel, lubricants, and any mechanical or software “add-ons”, as well as awards and bonuses from results.
MAINTENANCE, CARE, AND SPORTING CUSTODY
MARCO undertakes to treat ALBAROSA with the diligence of a good garage caretaker, ensuring her routine and special maintenance in accordance with technical plans.
On her part, ALBAROSA undertakes to provide power in a quantity proportional to the twisting of the right wrist, avoiding manifestations of electronic jealousy towards other bikes on the grid.
FAITHFULNESS
MARCO acknowledges his responsibility to sporting faithfulness to ALBAROSA, her twin, and all Aprilia Racing prototypes. They do not constitute a violation of the obligation of faithfulness.
RACE MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC DECISIONS
Decisions on tyres, setup, overtaking on the final lap, and on race strategies in general, will always be implemented jointly, in observance of the principles of reason and track limits.
On the track, in the event of any discord, MARCO’s feeling will prevail. In this case, ALBAROSA may express disagreement by vibrating or skidding, but not beyond the limits of traction control.
DURATION AND EFFECTIVENESS
This agreement takes effect on the date it is signed and is valid for multiple years, in particular, where MARCO is concerned, as long as he desires to race around the track and, where ALBAROSA is concerned, as long as fuel flows through her injectors.
JURISDICTION
Past cases advise strongly against seeking recourse in any court.
FINAL PROVISIONS
MARCO declares his knowledge of ALBAROSA’s every particularity, including engine maps and character during braking and acceleration.
ALBAROSA declares her acceptance of MARCO’s riding, acknowledging his leaning skill, sensitivity with the front end, and attitude of never letting up on the gas.
MARCO BEZZECCHI: “I’m extremely happy to have renewed for another two years. From the first day I signed, I had the goal in mind of building a long-term project. I’m happy to have found the support of the entire team and the whole Noale factory. I hope I’ll be able to give them a lot of joy, as they most certainly will with me.”
MASSIMO RIVOLA, CEO APRILIA RACING: “We are obviously extremely satisfied, because the renewal was our priority. We wanted to celebrate the signing in a particularly fun way, which I believe goes perfectly well with Marco’s personality. We have built a path creating solid foundations, and the fact that Marco chose to stay with us, in spite of various other offers he received, gives us great pleasure and further highlights the work and spirit of this team.”
Marco Bezzecchi, in his first season with Aprilia Racing in 2025, has already become the most successful rider in the Italian team’s MotoGP history. He has achieved three victories in the long races (Silverstone, Portimão and Valencia), three sprint race wins (Misano, Mandalika and Phillip Island), a total of 15 podium finishes and five pole positions (Austria, Misano, Mandalika, Portimão and Valencia). These results allowed him to finish the championship in third place with 353 points.
[The story is as per press release]