The Honda MotoGP factory team is finalising a deal with Castrol to replace Repsol from the 2025 season, Autosport has learned.
Although it was an open secret for months, Repsol executives formally informed Honda of its intention not to extend the sponsorship deal – which expires at the end of this season – on the Sunday of this year's San Marino Grand Prix.
With a brief statement sent just after the MotoGP race, the Spanish company put an end to 30 years of a relationship that began losing strength following the departure of Marc Marquez from the Japanese squad at the end of last year.
Repsol's financial contribution to HRC was considerably reduced once the Spanish rider's departure to Gresini was confirmed, a circumstance that was reflected in the evident loss of the oil company's logo on the RC213V, going from occupying a central place to moving to the underside of Joan Mir and Luca Marini's bikes.
In fact, if the Honda manufacturer's factory squad has continued to identify itself as the Repsol Honda Team, it has been thanks to a gesture of goodwill from the Japanese brand, which, in any case, has raced with its bikes decorated mainly in the corporate colours (red, blue and white), rather than black.
The Honda/Repsol partnership began in 1995 and has since produced a total of 15 riders' titles, 10 constructors' titles and 183 race victories.
With the break-up now just a few months away, Autosport has learned that Honda has already agreed a deal with Castrol for the British oil company to fill the gap left by Repsol from next season onwards.
Castrol is one of the main partners of the LCR team, owned by Lucio Cecchinello, which has the fuel and lubricant company as a main sponsor on the side of the garage currently occupied by Johann Zarco.
The new partnership with the factory team does not, however, jeopardise the existing one with LCR.
While the relationship between Castrol and the Tokyo-based manufacturer's factory team will not reach title sponsor status by 2025, the relationship could go further depending on a number of factors.
