Honda launches all-new MotoGP livery, reveals Castrol as title sponsor
First season since 1994 that factory Honda team won’t be sponsored by Repsol
The factory Honda squad has unveiled an all-new livery for the 2025 MotoGP season as it moves on from its 30-year title partnership with Repsol, with Castrol replacing it.
Since 1995, every factory Honda has raced in the premier class with a Repsol-influenced livery as the Spanish oil giant served as title sponsor.
However, that iconic relationship came to an end last year, with the works Honda squad unveiling factory HRC colours for the 2025 season at its launch in Indonesia.
Honda also revealed that Castrol will become its title partner in 2025.
Honda endured a miserable 2024 campaign, with the marque finishing last in the constructors’ standings with just 75 points.
Read more: How Honda found its true MotoGP leader in 2024
Its factory riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini finished last in the riders’ standings, while the brand’s best grand prix result was an eighth from LCR’s Johann Zarco at a wet Thai GP.
Zarco was Honda’s top rider in the standings in 17th.
Last year also marked its third in five where Honda didn’t win a race.
However, Honda has made some significant personnel changes for the 2025 season in its bid to move itself back up the competitive order.
Most notably, it has signed Romano Albesiano from Aprilia to take over as technical director, replacing Ken Kawauchi - who has been moved over to the test team.
Albesiano helped build Aprilia up from the grid’s slowest factory bike when it returned to MotoGP in 2015 to being multiple grand prix winners over his 10 premier class seasons at the Italian marque.
Also coming from Aprilia to prop up its test team is three-time grand prix winner Aleix Espargaro, who retired from full-time competition at the end of last season.
Honda was the final factory team to unveil its colours for the 2025 season, following Yamaha and KTM over the previous two days.
Just one team has yet to reveal its livery for the coming campaign, which is the LCR squad. Its launch will take place on 8 February a day before MotoGP’s official season launch event.
Honda has been on track already this week at the Sepang shakedown, with the marque able to test freely during the year with its race riders due to concessions.
Testing begins officially on 5-7 February in Malaysia, before the championship moves to Thailand on 12-13 February for the final two days of pre-season running ahead of the 2025 campaign getting under way on 28 February to 2 March at Buriram.
