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By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted November 16, 2015 | In MotoGP, Motor Racing, Motorsports
In August this year, 56 years since first participating in the FIM Road Racing World Championship Series in 1959, Honda achieved an unprecedented 700 world motorcycle Grand Prix victories in all classes, following Marc Marquez’s MotoGP victory in Austin. To Honda, racing activities are its driving force, and Honda’s participation in the world’s top class of motorsports not only enables it t o hone its technologies, but apply the racing spirit and ideas to many of its products. As the leading personal mobility company, Honda continues to provide people worldwide with enjoyment and happiness through its products and racing activities, and, with its belief in its corporate slogan “The Power of Dreams,” will realize its – and customers’ – dreams.
Review of Honda’s 2015 Motorcycle World Championship Racing Activities
In the 2015 season, Honda participated in eight classes in six categories of Motorcycle World Championship racing, and the Dakar 2015. In the FIM*1 Trial World Championship Series (WCT), Toni Bou achieved an unprecedented 9th consecutive championship title. Tim Gajser won his first championship in the FIM Motocross World Championship Series (MXGP) MX2 class, as did Danny Kent in the MotoGP FIM Road Racing World Championship Series Moto3 class.
Honda’s 2016 Participation in Motorcycle World Championship Racing
1.FIM Road Racing World Championship Series (MotoGP)
<MotoGP Class>
Honda aims to win back the MotoGP class title, with double-world champion (2013 / 2014) Marc Márquez, and 11-year MotoGP class veteran Dani Pedrosa riding for Honda’s factory team*2 “Repsol Honda Team” on 2016 RC213V factory machines. With Cal Crutchlow (CWM LCR Honda), and Jack Miller (MARC VDS Racing Team) and Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) also riding 2016 RC213Vs, Honda aims to win the “Triple Crown”; the riders’, constructors’, and team titles.
Team |
Number |
Machine |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2015 results |
Repsol Honda Team ★*3 |
93 |
RC213V ★*3 |
Marc Márquez ★*3 |
22 |
Spain |
MotoGP class 3rd |
26 |
Dani Pedrosa ★ |
30 |
Spain |
MotoGP class 4th |
||
LCR Honda |
35 |
Cal Crutchlow |
30 |
Great Britain |
MotoGP class 8th |
|
MARC VDS Racing Team |
43 |
Jack Miller ★ |
20 |
Australia |
MotoGP class 19th |
|
Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS |
50 |
Tito Rabat |
26 |
Spain |
Moto2 class 3rd |
*1 FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
*2 Honda factory team operated by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC)
*3 ★ indicates Factory team, factory bike or HRC rider
<Moto3 Class>
Victorious in the 2015 season, Honda will compete in the Moto3 class with 2016 model NSF250RW factory machines. Eleven riders, including Enea Bastianini (3rd in 2015 season) and Niccolò Antonelli (4th in 2015 season) will aim to give Honda its third consecutive championship title.
Team |
Number |
Machine |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2015 results |
Estrella Galicia 0,0 |
44 |
NSF250RW ★ |
Aron Canet |
16 |
Spain |
CEV Moto3 2rd |
99 |
Jorge Navarro |
19 |
Spain |
Moto3 class 7th |
||
Ongetta-Rivacold |
23 |
Niccolò Antonelli |
19 |
Italy |
Moto3 class 5th |
|
95 |
Jules Danilo |
20 |
France |
Moto3 class 26th |
||
Drive M7 Sic Racing Team |
7 |
Adam Norrodin |
17 |
Malaysia |
ATC 8th |
|
84 |
Jakub Kornfeil |
22 |
Czech Republic |
Moto3 class 12th |
||
Gresini Racing Moto3 |
33 |
Enea Bastianini |
17 |
Italy |
Moto3 class 3rd |
|
21 |
Fabio Di Giannantonio |
17 |
Italy |
CIV Moto3 2rd |
||
Honda Team Asia |
76 |
Hiroki Ono |
23 |
Japan |
Moto3 class 21th |
|
89 |
Khairul Idham Pawi |
17 |
Malaysia |
Moto3 class 5th |
||
RW Racing GP BV |
11 |
Livio Loi |
18 |
Belgium |
Moto3 class 16th |
2.FIM Trial World Championship Series (WCT)
Honda aims to claim an unprecedented 11th consecutive constructors’ title and 10th consecutive riders’ title, with nine-time consecutive champion Toni Bou, 21-year WCT veteran Takahisa Fujinami, and this season rising star Jaime Busto riding COTA4RT factory machines for Honda’s factory team, “Repsol Honda Team”.
Team |
Number |
Machine |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2015 results |
Repsol Honda Team ★ |
1 |
COTA4RT ★ |
Toni Bou ★ |
29 |
Spain |
WCT Champion |
5 |
Takahisa Fujinami ★ |
35 |
Japan |
WCT 5th |
||
6 |
Jaime Busto ★ |
18 |
Spain |
WCT 6th |
3.FIM Motocross World Championship Series (MXGP)
In the MXGP class, Honda just missed out on taking the title this year, with Gautier Paulin finishing 2nd in the 2015 season, and Evgeny Bobryshev ranked 3rd. In 2016, Paulin and Bobryshev will continue to represent Honda’s factory team, “Team HRC”. 2015 MX2 World Champion Tim Gajser will join the premier class, racing for Team Honda Gariboldi Racing. All three riders will aim to win the championship on the 2016 CRF450RW factory machine. HRC rider Kei Yamamoto will ride a CRF450R to compete in the class for Team Assomotor Honda.
Team |
Number |
Machine |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2015 results |
Team HRC ★ |
21 |
CRF450RW ★ |
Gautier Paulin ★ |
25 |
France |
MXGP 2nd |
777 |
Evgeny Bobryshev ★ |
28 |
Russia |
MXGP 3rd |
||
Team Honda Gariboldi Racing |
243 |
CRF450RW ★ |
Tim Gajser ★ |
19 |
Slovenia |
MX2 Champion |
Team Assomotor Honda |
400 |
CRF450R |
Kei Yamamoto ★ |
23 |
Japan |
MXGP 27th |
<MX2: 250cc Class>
In the MX2 class, Honda aims to defend its 2015 title with 19 year old Jorge Zaragoza racing for the championship team, Team Honda Gariboldi Racing, on a factory machine CRF250RW.
Team |
Number |
Machine |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2015 results |
Team Honda Gariboldi Racing |
101 |
CRF250RW ★ |
Jorge Zaragoza ★ |
19 |
Spain |
MX2 class 25th |
4.AMA*4 SuperCross World Championship Series (450SX)
Honda’s factory team “Team Honda HRC” will aim for a more successful season in 2016, with Cole Seely, winner of 1 race prix in his rookie year, and Trey Canard, winner of 2 races despite fighting injuries, riding CRF450Rs to challenge for the title.
Team |
Number |
Machine |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2015 results |
Team Honda HRC ★ |
14 |
CRF450R |
Cole Seely ★ |
25 |
USA |
450SX 3th |
41 |
Trey Canard ★ |
25 |
USA |
450SX 6th |
*4 AMA: American Motorcyclist Association
5. FIM Superbike World Championship Series (WSBK)
Honda World Superbike Team, supported by Honda Motor Europe Ltd. (Honda’s European regional headquarters), will compete in the series with 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden and 2014 World Supersport Champion Michael van der Mark riding CBR1000RR machines.
Team |
Number |
Machine |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2015 results |
Honda World Superbike Team |
69 |
CBR1000RR |
Nicky Hayden |
34 |
USA |
MotoGP Open class 4th |
60 |
Michael van der Mark |
23 |
The Netherlands |
WSB 9th |
6. FIM Supersport World Championship Series (WSS)
The Honda World Superbike Team, supported by Honda Motor Europe Ltd., will compete in the Supersport series with Kyle Smith riding the CBR600RR machine.
Team |
Number |
Machine |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2015 results |
PTR World Supersport Team |
111 |
CBR600RR |
Kyle Smith |
24 |
Great Britain |
WSS 5th |
The Dakar 2016
In its fourth year after returning to the Dakar, Honda’s factory team “Team HRC”, armed with 2016 CRF450 RALLY factory machines, will once again be represented by ace rider Joan Barreda and DAKAR 2015 runner-up Paulo Goncalves, joined by Michael Metge, Paolo Ceci and Ricky Brabec. Team HRC is out to win Honda’s first title in 27 years, since its Paris Dakar victory in 1988.
Team |
Number |
Machine |
Rider |
Age |
Nationality |
2015 results |
Team HRC ★ |
6 |
CRF450 RALLY |
Joan Barreda ★ |
32 |
Spain |
Dakar Rally 17th |
2 |
Paulo Goncalves ★ |
36 |
Portugal |
Dakar Rally 2nd |
||
19 |
Michael Metge ★ |
36 |
France |
– |
||
32 |
Paolo Ceci ★ |
40 |
Italy |
Dakar Rally 14th |
||
48 |
Ricky Brabec |
24 |
USA |
– |
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
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By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
When first approaching a sponsorship or sports marketing project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Sports is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
Sports is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A sports marketing and sports sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which sport, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the real heart of sports sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a sports marketing project you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase on the Web, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
We have been involved in sports sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
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