Honda Reveals New Era in MotoGP with Castrol-Liveried 2025 Bike

Honda Revamps MotoGP Identity with Castrol, Ending 30-Year Repsol Partnership, and Aims to Bounce Back After Worst Season in Decades.

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The Honda factory team has revealed a striking new livery for the 2025 MotoGP season. This marks the end of its iconic 30-year title partnership with Spanish oil giant Repsol. Castrol will now sponsor the race, ushering in a fresh chapter for the Japanese manufacturer in the premier class of motorcycle racing.  

The unveiling, held in Jakarta on Saturday, signifies a major shift for Honda, which described the launch as the beginning of a “new era” in MotoGP. The new livery, featuring Castrol’s signature green and white colours, replaces the familiar Repsol orange and blue that has been synonymous with Honda’s dominance in the sport since 1994.  

Repsol’s partnership with Honda became legendary, coinciding with periods of supremacy by riders such as Mick Doohan and Marc Márquez. However, after three decades, the collaboration came to an end last year, paving the way for Castrol to take centre stage.  

Honda’s 2024 season was one of its worst in recent memory. The team finished last in the constructors’ championship with a meagre 75 points. Factory riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini struggled throughout the year, ending at the bottom of the riders’ standings. The team’s best result came from LCR’s Johann Zarco, who managed an eighth-place finish at a rain-soaked Thai Grand Prix.  

Despite the challenges, Honda has retained its star rider Joan Mir for 2025, while Luca Marini continues under a two-year contract signed ahead of the 2024 season. Mir finished 21st in the standings last year, while Marini, a former VR46 Ducati rider, ended his debut Honda season in 22nd place.  

Honda’s struggles have been evident, with the team failing to win a race in three of the last five seasons. In a bid to revive its fortunes, the manufacturer has made significant personnel changes for 2025. Most notably, Honda has appointed Romano Albesiano, formerly of Aprilia, as its new technical director, replacing Ken Kawauchi, who has been reassigned to the test team.  

Albesiano brings a wealth of experience, having played a key role in transforming Aprilia from the grid’s slowest factory bike in 2015 to a multiple Grand Prix winner during his tenure. Additionally, three-time Grand Prix winner Aleix Espargaró, who retired from full-time racing at the end of 2024, has joined Honda’s test team to bolster development efforts.  

Honda was the last factory team to unveil its 2025 livery, following Yamaha and KTM earlier in the week. The only team yet to reveal its colours is Honda’s satellite squad, LCR, which is scheduled to hold its launch on February 8, a day before MotoGP’s official season launch event.  

The team has already hit the track this week at the Sepang shakedown, taking advantage of concessions that allow Honda to test freely with its race riders throughout the year. Official pre-season testing begins on February 5-7 in Malaysia, followed by a final two-day session in Thailand on February 12-13. The 2025 MotoGP season kicks off on February 28 at the Buriram International Circuit in Thailand.  

As Honda embarks on this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the changes in leadership, personnel, and livery can reignite the team’s competitive fire and return it to the forefront of MotoGP.