February 4, 2011 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the key features of its 2011 motorsports program, including its motorsports strategy and initiatives for expanding the popularity of motorsports.
1. Motorsports StrategyIn its motorsports activities, the symbol of Honda's challenging spirit, the company has aimed for the world's top level from the days of its founding and taken on challenges in a variety of racing categories. With the know-how and enhanced challenging spirit cultivated through its motorsports activities, Honda will continue developing activities that meet more customers' expectations and bring joy to customers in each racing category.
Motorcycle activitiesIn the MotoGP, the premier class of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix (WGP), the Repsol Honda factory team will have a new lineup consisting of three riders, with Casey Stoner now joining Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso. With the machine "RC212V" that has been developed to offer more performance, the trio is raring to retake the championship. Through a reinforced team structure and enhanced machines, Honda is targeting to win all three championship titles, capturing the rider's title as well as the team and constructor's. The only Japanese rider to compete in the MotoGP class this season will be Hiroshi Aoyama, who has now moved to Team San Carlo Honda Gresini to compete in his second year of the MotoGP class.
In the Moto2 class, established as a new WGP racing series last season, Honda will again this year actively support this class as its sole official engine supplier and by fostering the talent of up-and-coming riders. Yuki Takahashi has now joined the Gresini Racing Moto2 team in the Moto2 class, competing this season as the sole Japanese rider in this class.
Repsol Montesa Honda will compete again this year in the FIM World Trial Championship Series (WCT). The two riders competing from Honda in this series will be Toni Bou, who saw success in winning the championship for the fourth straight year last season, and Takahisa Fujinami, currently the only Japanese rider racing in the World Trial Championship.
Honda will carry out a wide range of racing activities that include Suzuka 8hours Endurance Road Race, all categories of the All-Japan Championship Series, and international championships such as the World Superbike Championship (WSB) and the British Superbike Championship (BSB), where Ryuichi Kiyonari won the championship last season. Honda aims for the highest position in each race in which it competes.
Automobile activitiesIn Japan, Honda will compete in the Super GT Series GT500 Class with the "HSV-010 GT", the machine that gave Honda the dual titles of driver's and team championships last season, again entering five teams and five race machines this year. Capitalizing on the improved vehicle dynamics in the 2011 model to make it an even more competitive machine, Honda is targeting for its second consecutive dual-title victory.
Honda will also enter four teams in Formula Nippon and equip six cars with the 3.4-liter V-8 "HR10E" engine, now with even higher combustion efficiency while achieving higher output and greater fuel efficiency. Competing with vehicles equipped with Honda engines, the teams will battle to win back the dual titles of driver's and team championships.
In North America, Honda has supplied engines to the IndyCar® Series since 2003, through Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD). As the sole engine supplier to the category since 2006, Honda will provide all teams again this year with a V-8 "HI11R" engine running on 100% ethanol fuel. As a Japanese driver fully participating in IndyCar® Series, Takuma Sato will be racing his second season in the series, driving for KV Racing Technology-Lotus.
In the American Le Mans Series, Honda will supply the new 2.8-liter V-6 twin turbo engine that was developed by HPD based on a mass production engine. In the Le Mans Series in Europe and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans), Honda will supply the "ARX-01d", a vehicle developed by Honda and equipped with a 2.8-liter V-6 twin turbo engine.
2. Expanding the Popularity of MotorsportsHonda's program to expand the popularity of motorsports includes a wide variety of activities with the objective of communicating the attractiveness of motorsports to a broad spectrum of fans around the world. These activities range from world-class races such as the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix (WGP) to various events that the whole family can enjoy in a casual setting. This year, Honda will continue to push forward with activities for expanding the popularity of motorsports, allowing people to feel more at home experiencing and taking part in motorsports themselves.
Mobilityland hosting world premier racesThis year marks the 50th anniversary of Mobilityland Corporation. Mobilityland will honor this year of significance by hosting racing events and actively creating venues and numerous opportunities for people to watch, participate in, and enjoy racing, contributing toward further growth of the Japanese motorsports culture.
At Twin Ring Motegi, Mobilityland will host the FIM Road Racing World Championship and the FIM World Trial Championship Series. At Suzuka Circuit, Mobilityland will once again host the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) plus the FIA Formula One World Championship, and will also add the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) starting this year.
Through these races, the company will continue providing fans with opportunities to watch and feel numerous Japanese and international motorsports events including these premier two- and four-wheel races.
Main international races to be hosted by Mobilityland| Category | Schedule | Title | Circuit |
| WGP | April 22-24
(Fri. - Sun.) | 2011 FIM*1 Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix
Round 3 Grand Prix of Japan | Twin Ring Motegi,
Tochigi |
| WCT | June 4-5
(Sat. - Sun.) | 2011 FIM Trial World Championship
Round 3 Grand Prix of Japan | Twin Ring Motegi,
Tochigi |
| EWC | July 28-31
(Thu. - Sun.) | 2011 FIM Endurance World Championship
Round 3 Suzuka 8hours Endurance Road Race | Suzuka Circuit,
Mie |
| IndyCar® Series | September 16-18
(Fri. - Sun.) | 2011 IndyCar® Series
Round 15 Indy® Japan 300 mile | Twin Ring Motegi,
Tochigi |
| F1 | October 7-9
(Fri. - Sun.) | 2011 FIA*2 Formula One World Championship
Round 16 Japanese Grand Prix | Suzuka Circuit,
Mie |
| WTCC | October 22-23
(Sat. - Sun.) | 2011 FIA World Touring Car Championship
Race of Japan | Suzuka Circuit,
Mie |
*1 FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
*2 FIA: Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
Enjoy Honda 2011With the purpose of providing more opportunities for people to watch, participate in and enjoy activities related to Honda motorcycles, automobiles and power products, the Enjoy Honda program, a fan appreciation event, will be held again this year. Enjoy Honda 2011 is scheduled for Suzuka Circuit at the same time as automobile and motorcycle races (MFJ All-Japan Road Racing Championship Series, Round 2 and Formula Nippon, Round 1), and for Twin Ring Motegi at the same time as Formula Nippon, Round 5.
The Enjoy Honda program for each date may include exhibitions of Honda motorcycles, automobiles and power products, parent-and-child motorcycle lessons, live events featuring demonstrations of ASIMO, and Craft Classes from the Forest .*3
Enjoy Honda 2011 schedule| Schedule | Event name | Circuit |
| April 16-17(Sat. - Sun.) | Enjoy Honda SUZUKA 2011 | Suzuka Circuit, Mie |
| May 14-15(Sat. - Sun.) | Enjoy Honda KYUSHU 2011 | Honda Safety & Riding PLAZA Kyushu, Kumamoto |
| August 6-7(Sat. - Sun.) | Enjoy Honda MOTEGI 2011 | Twin Ring Motegi, Tochigi |
2011 Honda Eco Mileage Challenge
Since 1981, Honda has hosted Honda Eco Mileage Challenge, an event that highlights the environment. Participants combine their creativity, free imagination, and technology to create their own handcrafted vehicles, and then compete in them to see how far they can travel on 1 liter of fuel. The Honda Eco Mileage Challenge will mark its 31st year this year. In past years, a total of 11,966 teams have participated in events that offer opportunities to enjoy the fun of creation while thinking about the preciousness of gasoline, one of our limited natural resources. From junior high school students to adults, people from a wide range of ages have taken part in this event.
The Honda Eco Mileage Challenge events have been held not only in Japan but also in such countries as Thailand, China and Vietnam. Honda aims to further promote the events as a part of its global activities for expanding the popularity of motorsports. Teams from these countries will participate in the national competition to be held at Twin Ring Motegi in October 2011. Honda Eco Mileage Challenge has gained widespread recognition in society as an opportunity to raise public awareness about conservation of the global environment with participants challenging the limits of fuel economy.
Honda Eco Mileage Challenge 2011: Schedule in Japan| Schedule | Event name | Circuit |
| June 18 (Sat.) | 25th Honda Eco Mileage Challenge 2011, Suzuka | East Circuit, Suzuka Circuit, Mie |
| July 24 (Sun.) | 27th Honda Eco Mileage Challenge 2011, Kyushu | Circuit Course, Honda Safety & Riding PLAZA Kyushu, Kumamoto |
| August 27 (Sat.) | 3rd Honda Eco Mileage Challenge 2011, Motegi | West Road Course, Twin Ring Motegi, Tochigi |
October 1–2 (Sat. – Sun.)
Oct. 1: Practice runs
Oct. 2: Finals | 31st Soichiro Honda Cup Honda Eco Mileage Challenge 2011 National Competition | Super Speedway,
Twin Ring Motegi,
Tochigi |
 | The event name was changed to Honda Eco Mileage Challenge starting in 2010. The number before each regional event or national event above includes past events held under the previous name. |
Honda "Enjoy Kids Rider"This program features events for children on Pinky Bike and Kid's Bike, popular attractions at the amusement facilities at Suzuka Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi. The purpose of the program is to actively offer the chance for children including small kids to have contact with vehicles, so that "mobility" will be familiar and enjoyable to more children from their first-hand experiences. With the aim of offering these experiences to more children, the Honda "Enjoy Kids Rider" started last year, when it was held at specially established sites around Japan as well as at Suzuka Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi. A total of 2,821 children took part in eight of these events, held at five such sites last year.
Once again this year, Shinya Nakano, a former WGP rider, has been appointed captain of the Caravan Crew that will circulate among various sites in Japan. Through this program, Honda will continue to make a contribution toward the development of a more mature mobility culture.
2011 Honda "Enjoy Kids Rider" event schedule| Schedule | Other events held at the same time | Circuit |
April 9-10
(Sat. - Sun.) | Honda DREAM Test Ride Festa | Maishima Sports Island, Osaka |
May 14-15
(Sat. - Sun.) | Enjoy Honda KYUSHU 2011 | Honda Safety & Riding PLAZA Kyushu, Kumamoto |
Planned schedule as of February 4, 2011.Overview
[Road Races]
FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix SeriesHonda will compete again this year in the MotoGP class, the premier class of the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Series (WGP), which is the world's top-level motorcycle race, and take on the challenge of winning all three championship titles, by recapturing the rider's title as well as the team and constructor's titles. Honda will race the "RC212V" machines, which have undergone a thorough review of each section of the vehicle in pursuit of the optimal center of gravity and further improving cornering performance.
The Repsol Honda factory team will now compete with three riders - Casey Stoner will join Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso to augment the team's total ability for winning back championship titles.
The satellite teams will consist of two teams with a total of three riders. Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama will compete for Team San Carlo Honda Gresini. Racing for LCR Honda MotoGP will be Toni Elias, who took the honors as the first champion of the newly established Moto2 class last season, and will once again compete in this premier class.
| Team | Number | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2010 Result |
| Repsol Honda Team | 26 | Dani Pedrosa | 25 | Spain | MotoGP 2nd |
| 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | 24 | Italy | MotoGP 5th |
| 27 | Casey Stoner | 25 | Australia | MotoGP 4th |
| Team San Carlo Honda Gresini | 58 | Marco Simoncelli | 24 | Italy | MotoGP 8th |
| 7 | Hiroshi Aoyama | 29 | Chiba, Japan | MotoGP 15th |
| LCR Honda MotoGP | 24 | Toni Elias | 27 | Spain | Moto2 Champion |
Honda will again support the Moto2 class, established as a new WGP racing class last season, as its sole official engine supplier and encourage this class to develop the talent of up-and-coming riders. All the machines of every team will be powered by the engine derived from the in-line 4-cylinder engine of the commercially sold "CBR600RR" supersports model and developed exclusively for the Moto2 class. About 40 machines competed in each of the Moto2 races last season, which featured exciting battles in every race. Honda's support for this class will encompass the supply of its highly reliable engines, boasting uniform quality and minimal variation among individual engines.
Yuki Takahashi will be the only Japanese rider in this class, after moving to Gresini Racing Moto2 this year, and will now compete in his second Moto2 campaign.
| Team | Number | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2010 Result |
| Gresini Racing Moto2 | 72 | Yuki Takahashi | 26 | Saitama, Japan | Moto2 12th |
[FIM Endurance World Championship Series]
Suzuka 8hours Endurance Road Race
To heighten the attraction of the 34th Suzuka 8hours Endurance Road Race, Honda plans to enter riders who are active in international championship races. These riders are expected to come from such teams as F. C. C. TSR Honda and MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO., which have competed in the Suzuka 8hours on many occasions.
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) will provide technical support to these teams through such measures as loaning the highly competitive "CBR1000RR".
FIM World Superbike Championship Series (WSB)
The Castrol Honda World Superbike Team will compete in the World Superbike Championship Series (WSB) by riding the "CBR1000RR", through the support provided by Honda Motor Europe Ltd. (HME).
| Team | Number | Machine | Rider | 2010 Result |
| Castrol Honda World Superbike Team | 4 | CBR1000RR | Jonathan Rea | WSB 4th |
| 111 | CBR1000RR | Ruben Xaus | WSB 15th |
British Superbike Championship Series (BSB)
Two riders, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Shane Byrne, will compete in the British Superbike Championship Series (BSB) as members of the HM Plant Honda team of the Honda U.K. local subsidiary. Kiyonari won the BSB championship for the third time last season, while Byrne competed in WSB last year.
| Team | Number | Machine | Rider | 2010 Result |
| HM Plant Honda | 1 | CBR1000RR | Ryuichi Kiyonari | BSB Champion |
| 67 | CBR1000RR | Shane Byrne | WSB 10th |
[Motocross Racing]
World Motocross Championship Series (WMX)
With support provided by Honda Motor Europe Ltd. (HME), the Honda World Motocross Team will ride the "CRF450R" to compete in the MX1 class, the premier class of the FIM World Motocross Championship Series (WMX).
| Team | Class | Number | Machine | Rider | 2010 Result |
| Honda World Motocross Team | MX1 | 777 | CRF450R | Evgeny Bobryschev | MX1 10th |
| 999 | CRF450R | Rui Goncalves | MX1 11th |
MX1 includes engine displacements of 2-stroke/175cc-250cc and 4-stroke/290cc-450cc.
Entry list is provisional and subject to change.MFJ*4 All-Japan Motocross Championship Series
For the first time in 3 seasons, HRC will compete in the IA 1 class*5 as Team HRC. The team will race with the "CRF450R" and aims to win the championship title. This participation by a factory team and the enhanced competitive power of the "CRF450R" will enable Honda to supply CRF customers around the world with machines having even higher performance.
*4 MFJ: Motorcycle Federation of Japan
*5 Engine displacement: 2-stroke/175cc-250cc, 4-stroke/290cc-450cc
| Team | Class | Number | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2010 Result |
| TEAM HRC | IA 1 | 6 | Kazumasa Masuda | 30 | Tokyo, Japan | JMX IA1 6th |
| 7 | Yu Hirata | 26 | Aichi, Japan | JMX IA1 7th |
[Trials]
FIM World Trial Championship Series
Repsol Montesa Honda will compete again this year in the FIM World Trial Championship Series (WCT). For machines, Honda will run two "Montesa COTA 4RT"s equipped with matured and even more competitive 4-stroke engines. Honda is targeting for the rider's championship for the fifth straight year and the manufacturer's championship for the sixth straight year.
| Team | Number | Rider | Age | Nationality | 2010 Result |
| Repsol Montesa Honda | 1 | Toni Bou | 24 | Spain | Champion |
| 3 | Takahisa Fujinami | 31 | Mie, Japan | 3rd |
MFJ All-Japan Trials Championship Series
HRC will provide support to teams and riders competing in the All-Japan Trials Championship Series, especially those belonging to HRC Clubs under the HRC service shops.
SUPER GT
In the GT500 class last season, Honda took the dual titles of driver's and team championships with the "HSV-010 GT", and five of these engines will again be raced by five different teams this season. The machine was once again developed by the Automobile R&D Center of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. in cooperation with M-TEC Co., Ltd. and Dome Co., Ltd. in the Honda GT Project and fuels Honda's hopes for capturing the dual titles for the second year in a row.
Participating in Super GT from Autobacs Racing Team Aguri will be Hideki Mutoh, who competed in the IndyCar® Series until last season, and Takashi Kobayashi, who won the championship in the N Class of Japanese Formula 3 Championship last season.
| Team | Number | Driver | Age | Nationality | 2010 Result |
| Weider Honda Racing | 1 | Takashi Kogure | 30 | Gunma, Japan | GT500 Champion |
| Loic Duval | 28 | France |
| AUTOBACS RACING TEAM AGURI | 8 | Hideki Mutoh | 28 | Tokyo, Japan | IndyCar® Series 18th |
| Takashi Kobayashi | 23 | Hiroshima, Japan | F3 N Class Champion |
| KEIHIN REAL RACING | 17 | Toshihiro Kaneishi | 32 | Osaka, Japan | GT500 3rd |
| Kodai Tsukakoshi | 24 | Tochigi, Japan |
| EPSON NAKAJIMA RACING | 32 | Ryo Michigami | 37 | Nara, Japan | GT500 14th |
| Yuhki Nakayama | 23 | Ishikawa, Japan |
| Team Kunimitsu | 100 | Takuya Izawa | 26 | Tokyo, Japan | GT500 8th |
| Naoki Yamamoto | 22 | Tochigi, Japan |
Car numbers are tentative and subject to change.Japanese Championship Formula Nippon
Through Japan Race Promotion Co., Ltd., Honda will provide four teams and six machines with the 3.4-liter V-8 "HR10E" engine, in its aim to win a dual title of the driver's and team championships. Stepping up to Formula Nippon for their first challenges in this category will be Takashi Kobayashi, who became champion of the N class of Japanese Formula 3 Championship last season, participating from Real Racing; and Daisuke Nakajima, who competed in the British Formula 3 Championship last season, participating from Nakajima Racing.
| Team | Number | Driver | Age | Nationality | 2010 Result |
| REAL RACING | 10 | Takashi Kobayashi | 23 | Hiroshima, Japan | F3 N Class Champion |
| TEAM MUGEN | 16 | Naoki Yamamoto | 22 | Tochigi, Japan | FN 7th |
| NAKAJIMA RACING | 31 | Daisuke Nakajima | 22 | Aichi, Japan | British F3 11th |
| 32 | Takashi Kogure | 30 | Gunma, Japan | FN 4th |
| DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING | 40 | Takuya Izawa | 26 | Tokyo, Japan | FN 11th |
| 41 | Kodai Tsukakoshi | 24 | Tochigi, Japan | FN 9th |
Car numbers are tentative and subject to change.Developing Talent: Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP)
For developing future racing talent, Honda directs the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP), focused on discovering and cultivating skilled, young drivers to be active in Japanese and international racing. Takashi Kobayashi, champion of the N class of Japanese Formula 3 Championship in 2010, will now move up to Formula Nippon, while Tomoki Nojiri, who has been active in Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ), will move up to Japanese Formula 3 (F3).
This season, Honda will support two drivers who will race in the Japanese Formula 3 Championship.
| Category | Team | Number | Driver | Age | Nationality | 2010 Result |
| F3 | HFDP RACING | 7 | Kazuki Miura | 22 | Iwate, Japan | F3 N Class 6th |
| 8 | Tomoki Nojiri | 21 | Ibaraki, Japan | FCJ 5th |
Car numbers are tentative and subject to change. Together with two other automakers,*6 Honda has established the Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ), a Junior Formula Race for the "discovery and cultivation of skilled young drivers to be active on the world stage." As part of its ongoing participation in FCJ, Honda will support the participation of four drivers with training allowances.
| *6 | Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ): This new Junior Formula car race was created in 2006 through the cooperation of three automakers: Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. The concept places its focus on the discovery and training of young, skilled drivers to be active on the world stage and supporting the future by developing talent to expand the foundation of Japanese motorsports. |
Developing talent: Suzuka Circuit Racing School (SRS)
Seeking to develop riders and drivers who can be formidable contenders on the global motorsports stage, Mobilityland Corporation runs its own racing schools: the Suzuka Circuit Racing School Junior (SRS-J) for motorcycles, the Suzuka Circuit Racing School Kart (SRS-K), and Suzuka Circuit Racing School Formula (SRS-F) for automobiles.
The Suzuka Circuit Racing School has produced competitive racers for the MotoGP and Formula One Grand Prix. Many other graduates have been active in various motorcycle and automobile racing categories both inside and outside Japan.
Racers in training who demonstrate excellent results at SRS will receive training allowances for their participation in higher-level racing categories. Automobile racing drivers with excellent results in SRS-F last year are receiving support this season for their participation in Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ).
Main races hosted by Honda
The Honda Exciting Cup One-Make Race started in 1981 as a one-make race for the Civic model. The race has earned boasting rights for a long and proud history of over 30 years as a premier race for amateur drivers. This season, a total of 10 races will be held as Inter Series and East Japan Series events.
Main Honda teams and drivers participating in overseas championship racesAs the sole engine supplier for the IndyCar® Series, Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD), a subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will equip all teams with the 3.5-liter V-8 "HI11R" engine. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500® Mile Race, the biggest motorsports event in North America. Since 2006, when Honda started supplying engines as the sole supplier, not one driver has retired due to engine trouble over five consecutive years. This season, Honda will continue to supply its highly reliable engines with uniform quality and minimal variation among individual engines.
Takuma Sato will enter his second season as a Japanese driver fully participating in IndyCar® Series, driving for KV Racing Technology-Lotus.
| Team | Number | Driver | Age | Nationality | 2010 Result |
| KV Racing Technology-Lotus | 5 | Takuma Sato | 34 | Tokyo, Japan | IndyCar® Series 21st |
Last season, HPD won the four titles of the driver's, chassis manufacturer's, engine manufacturer's, and team championships in the LMP
*7 class of the American Le Mans Series. In the Le Mans Series in Europe last year, HPD started supplying the "ARX-01c" chassis developed by the company and the 3.4-liter V-8 naturally aspirated engine, winning the driver's championship of the LMP2 class in its first year of participation. HPD also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time and won the LMP2 class (ranked 5th overall).
This year, HPD and Honda R&D Americas, Inc. (HRA), Honda's U.S. R&D organization, jointly developed a 2.8-liter V-6 twin turbo engine based on a mass-produced V-6 engine. In ALMS, Honda will supply engines to the Level 5 Motorsports to support its participation in the LMP class.
In the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Honda will continue its support for the participation of the Strakka Racing and Ray Mallock Limited teams in the LMP2 class, equipping them with the "ARX-01d" chassis, which was jointly developed with Wirth Research Limited of the U.K., and the newly developed 2.8-liter V-6 twin turbo engines.
| *7 | LMP stands for Le Mans Prototype, a category of vehicles developed exclusively for racing in the Le Mans Series (including the American Le Mans Series). The Le Mans Series races are divided into the LMP1 and LMP2 classes based on differences in vehicle regulations. (In the American Le Mans Series, the classes have been combined into the LMP class starting in 2010.) |
Source : Honda Press Release for Media
Enjoy Honda 2011 schedule
