Tokyo Auto Salon HRC motorsport conference

Below is a transcript of the media conference at the Tokyo Auto Salon given by HRC President Koji Watanabe on 10 January 2025:

"Good morning, everyone. This is Watanabe from HRC. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to gather here today. I would also like to express my gratitude for your continued support of Honda's motorsport activities."

Formula One

"Last year, in the Formula One World Championship, Max Verstappen achieved the remarkable feat of winning the Drivers' Title for the fourth consecutive season. His determination to secure victory, even in situations that were far from favorable, was truly inspiring. Races have the power to emotionally move people. With this belief, we at HRC will continue to challenge ourselves with high goals, strive for victory, and deliver memorable and inspiring moments."

SUPER FORMULA

"In Japan's SUPER FORMULA, which boasts speed second only to F1, young drivers, Tadasuke Makino and Kakunoshin Ota each secured two victories, leading DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING to clinch the team title. Although he narrowly missed out on first place, Tomoki Nojiri from TEAM MUGEN, along with Makino and others, delivered an intense battle until the very end.

"Meanwhile, Naoki Yamamoto, who holds the record for the most titles in SUPER FORMULA with three championships, announced his retirement from the series. And Igor Fraga, the 2023 Honda Racing eMS Grand Final champion will join Ponos Nakajima Racing where Yamamoto used to belong. I would like to express my gratitude to Yamamoto for his contributions to SUPER FORMULA and look forward to his continued success in SUPER GT."

SUPER GT

"In the SUPER GT GT500 class, last year we replaced the NSX with the CIVIC TYPE R-GT. Despite it being the first year with a car that has significantly different aerodynamic characteristics in terms of downforce and drag, we remained competitive in the championship battle until the very end. This year, we aim to further enhance our speed and secure the championship title. Additionally, Syun Koide will be joining SUPER GT from Astemo REAL RACING."

Young Talent

"Last year, Syun Koide won the Super Formula Lights championship. In the FIA F4 Championship, Yuto Nomura claimed the title, while Taito Kato secured the title in the French F4. These achievements highlight how graduates from the Honda Racing School are flourishing both in Japan and globally.

"Additionally, Ayumu Iwasa, who won the Rookie of the Year in SUPER FORMULA, will continue to compete in SUPER FORMULA while preparing to seize any opportunity that may arise in F1. Furthermore, Kakunoshin Ota will participate in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in North America this season, including the 24 Hours of Daytona at the end of this month, as well as races at Watkins Glen and Indianapolis, driving the Acura ARX-06.

"We will continue to accelerate our efforts to nurture young talent and help them blossom on the global stage."

eMS (e-Motorsports)

"The Honda Racing School Suzuka has been nurturing young talent, and now we are developing a simulator for e-motorsports using the monocoque from the formula cars used there. This allows you to enjoy the thrill of real racing through e-games in the cockpit of an actual formula car. These are the same machines used by drivers like Tsunoda and Iwasa. We have brought a prototype to the venue today, so please feel free to try it out if you have time."

Parts development and sales

"In the Super Taikyu series, last year we focused on improving drivability with the theme of creating race cars that are easy for anyone to drive. This year, our new aim is to refine technologies in the Super Taikyu series that can be applied to future commercial vehicles, so, we will establish an optimal structure for that purpose and we will be competing in the ST-Q class with the CIVIC TYPE R. Additionally, in the United States, we have begun developing performance parts under the HRC brand. What was previously in the planning phase has now entered the business development phase, and we are currently working on development as well."

Formula One

"In this context, following the rebranding of Honda Performance Development in North America to HRC US, last year we established HRC UK in the United Kingdom, prepa preparing for a new partnership with the Aston Martin F1 Team for the 2026 season. This year marks the conclusion of our F1 partnership with Red Bull. We began supplying power units to Toro Rosso in 2018, and from 2019, we also supplied Red Bull. That year, Max Verstappen brought victory to the Honda power unit in the Austrian Grand Prix. The exciting moment is still unforgettable.

"Here, we have a message from Christian Horner, the Team Principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing. Please take a look.

"We will continue to fight for more victories until the very end."

Download

"At Honda, we consider racing to be a dojo for honing both people and technology. The power units in F1, the pinnacle of racing, achieve world-class energy efficiency with advanced technology. The spirit of challenge and passion for high technical goals is also shared in Honda's commercial vehicles. Many HRC engineers have experience in mass production development, and many current mass production developers have experience in F1 development. Racing is in Honda's DNA, and we hope you can feel the technology and challenging spirit refined through racing from the display cars here.

"We appreciate your continued support for Honda's motorsport activities. Thank you for your attention."