Honda sets 2026 MotoGP bike launch date

The factory Honda MotoGP team has announced it will unveil the colours for its 2026 bike during its official launch event in early February.

The Japanese manufacturer enters its second year with Castrol as its title sponsor, following the end of its 30-year association with Repsol.

This led to a completely new livery for the 2025 season on Joan Mir and Luca Marini’s factory RC213Vs, with the Repsol orange replaced by the red and green of Castrol.

The 2025 season proved to be a marked improvement for Honda compared to previous years, with the brand ending its two-year victory drought at the French Grand Prix with LCR’s Johann Zarco.

Honda’s factory team managed a handful of podiums later in the season, with 2020 world champion Mir making it to the rostrum in dry races in Japan and Malaysia.

All of this helped elevate Honda out of the D ranking in the concessions table, meaning it starts 2026 on equal terms with Aprilia and KTM in the C ranking.

As such, Honda has lost its ability to freely test with race riders during the season as well as its limitless engine development.

Honda will unveil the colours for its final 1000cc MotoGP bike on 2 February in an online launch just days before pre-season testing begins at Sepang.

HRC’s factory team will field an unchanged line-up in 2026, with Mir seeing out the final season of his two-year deal, while Marini remains after his contract was extended.

Marini, who was the second-best Honda rider in the standings last year, faced an uncertain future with the team in the first half of the 2025 season.

Such was Honda’s progress with its bike that it became linked to high-profile names in Pedro Acosta and Jorge Martin for 2026.

Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola revealed last year that Martin’s management told him Honda had made a strong offer to the 2024 world champion to join the marque in 2026.

The contract dispute between Martin and Aprilia ultimately went in the latter’s favour, while Acosta committed to KTM.

Marini, who has become popular with Honda management due to his analytical approach to development, had his contract extended by an extra year to the end of 2026.