Honda competes in the FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships under the name IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia and Honda Team Asia to continue to discover and train Asian riders capable of competing at the highest level. The Tokyo firm has formalized the drivers of this team who will participate in the 2023 season while Hiroshi Aoyama will continue his role as team manager.
En Moto2, for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, Ai Ogura et Somkiat Chantra will continue to represent the team. Both have shown excellent progression during the current season, providing historic moments like Chantra's victory at Mandalika or the 1-2 at the Red Bull Ring. With four races remaining, Ogura is still fighting for the 2022 world title.
Ai Ogura #79: “ I'm happy to have another chance next season, with the same structure. I want to thank the team, my sponsors and everyone who supports me. This year we are fighting for the championship. We are fully focused on achieving this goal. My challenge is to continue to improve each race, each session, as much as possible, to be ready to take another step. »
Somkiat Chantra #35: “ I am proud to continue for a fifth season with Idemitsu Honda Team Asia. In 2022, I feel that I have progressed a lot in driving and race management, experiencing unforgettable moments like my victory in Indonesia. I am sure that in 2023 I will be ready to fight for the championship. »
En Moto3, for Honda Team Asia, Mario Suryo Aji et Taiyo Furusato will continue for a second season. Both fulfill the pre-established training program to perfection, so they deserve the confidence to continue for another season.
Mario Suryo Aji #64: “ Next season I will have the opportunity to continue with this team, and I am very happy about it. This means they have confidence in my abilities to race at the highest level. This year I had to deal with physical problems. Despite this, I learned a lot, scored important points, and had experiences like my first line in Mandalika. I'm happy to stay here. I will work hard during the winter to get stronger for the next season. I want to thank everyone who believes in me. »
Taiyo Furusato #72: “ I would like to thank Honda for giving me the chance to continue with this team in 2023. My first season was exciting as I continually learned and gained confidence in my team and the bike. After the summer break, I started to feel my growth in riding and improved my performance a lot. Of course, I have to continue to improve. This team is the best place to do it. I hope I can repay this confidence with results. »
Hiroshi Aoyama, Team Director: “
First of all, I would like to thank Idemitsu and all our sponsors. I am happy to continue another season together.
In Moto2, we will have Ai Ogura and Somkiat Chantra again. As we have seen, they are very competitive in this category. We want to keep them for another season. They are still young and have a lot of room for improvement. Our goal is to try to fight for the championship and have another good season together. The team structure will remain the same, based in Barcelona (Spain). I think we can fight again next season with both drivers; we can't wait to start a new year with them.
In Moto3 next season we will continue with Mario Suryo Aji and Taiyo Furusato. They are rookie pilots and have dedicated their first year to working, learning and improving. We want to continue this progression to see how they can improve and perform next season. As a team we will try to give the riders as much support as possible. They will keep the same structure in Spain. Now we are looking to start a new season with them, and hopefully we will have a good journey together. »
