Honda Partners with Castrol After Ending Repsol Deal

The Honda MotoGP factory team is set to partner with Castrol, marking a significant shift as it prepares to part ways with Repsol after three decades. Autosport has confirmed that Honda is finalizing the deal, which will take effect from the 2025 season.

The decision comes after Repsol executives officially notified Honda of their intent not to renew the sponsorship agreement, which expires at the end of this season. This announcement, made shortly after the MotoGP race at the San Marino Grand Prix, concludes a longstanding partnership that began in 1995 and yielded an impressive tally of 15 riders’ titles, 10 constructors’ championships, and 183 race victories.

The relationship between Honda and Repsol began to wane following the departure of star rider Marc Marquez to the Gresini team at the end of last year. The financial support from Repsol to Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) diminished significantly after Marquez’s exit, leading to a noticeable reduction in the oil company’s branding on the RC213V bikes. Previously a prominent feature, the Repsol logo has shifted to a less visible position on the machines of riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini.

Despite the impending end of their partnership, the Honda team has continued to identify itself as the Repsol Honda Team, thanks in part to a gesture of goodwill from the Japanese manufacturer. However, the team has predominantly raced with its own colors—red, blue, and white—rather than incorporating black.

As Honda prepares to embrace the new partnership with Castrol, the British oil company is already a significant sponsor of the LCR team, owned by Lucio Cecchinello, where it features prominently alongside rider Johann Zarco. While the new collaboration with Honda’s factory team will not reach title sponsor status in its initial phase, there is potential for further development in the future.

This transition represents a new chapter for Honda as it moves forward in MotoGP, with the Castrol partnership poised to bring fresh opportunities and support to the factory team in the coming seasons.