Honda HRC Castrol have officially presented their 2026 MotoGP bike, and it has already attracted plenty of attention. The design keeps the well-known Honda racing colours but includes small updates that give the machine a fresh and modern look for the new season.

The online launch featured factory riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini, together with important team leaders from Honda. With the presentation complete, the focus now moves to Malaysia, where the first official pre-season test will take place at Sepang.

Honda enter 2026 with growing confidence. Over the past year, the team have worked extremely hard to improve performance. Engineers and riders pushed throughout 2025, and the Honda RC213V showed clear progress, delivering results not seen from the factory team in several seasons.

Keeping the same rider line-up is an important part of Honda’s plan. Mir and Marini are starting their third year as team-mates, which gives the project stability and shared experience. Both riders understand the bike better than ever and want to build on last season’s improvements.

This year is also the final chapter for the current 1,000cc RC213V before new technical rules arrive in 2027. Honda’s bike once again features the classic red, blue and white colours. Red shows racing passion, blue represents technical excellence, and white is a nod to the fans who support the sport. Long-time partner Castrol continues as title sponsor, adding its well-known branding to the machine.

The 2026 season is special for another reason: Honda celebrate 60 years since entering the top class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. From early machines in the 1960s to today’s modern prototypes, Honda have built one of the most successful records in the sport. The company has achieved hundreds of wins and thousands of podium finishes, and several celebrations are planned during the season.

Luca Marini says he feels motivated after the improvements made last year. He trained hard over the winter and wants to fight closer to the front in 2026. His focus is to take every opportunity and help end this era of MotoGP bikes in a positive way.

Joan Mir shares a similar feeling. He believes the speed is there but says the team must be more consistent across race weekends. Strong pre-season tests will be very important, and he is confident Honda’s engineers have prepared well.

With a proud history, an improved bike and two determined riders, Honda HRC Castrol head into 2026 ready to challenge and continue their return to the front of MotoGP.