Team LCR has revealed the satellite Honda RC213Vs it will campaign in the 2026 MotoGP season.
The French squad will once again run different liveries across its two bikes, instead of a unified design, as it heads into the final year of the current regulation cycle.
Team leader Johann Zarco will continue to represent British oil company Castrol, carrying the brand’s familiar red, white and green colour scheme on the #5 RC213V.
Meanwhile, reigning Moto2 champion Diogo Moreira will race in the colours of Pro Honda, the Japanese marque’s lubricants company, during his rookie campaign in the premier class. Pro Honda has stepped up as the title sponsor of Moreira’s bike following the conclusion of LCR’s long-running partnership with Idemitsu.
Diogo Moreira, Team LCR Honda
Photo by: Team LCR
Honda’s sponsorship deal with Idemitsu had been linked to LCR running Asian riders in the championship. That requirement was met for seven seasons between 2018 and 2024 by Takaaki Nakagami, before Thai rider Somkiat Chantra took over the Idemitsu-backed seat last year. However, Chantra’s results fell short of expectations, prompting Honda to install Moreira in his place, even at the expense of the Idemitsu sponsorship. Chantra has since found a new home in Honda’s World Superbike Championship roster.
LCR recorded a mixed season in MotoGP last year, even as Honda’s RC213 improved leaps and bounds. Zarco remained the benchmark rider for the Japanese marque at the start of the season, even recording a brilliant victory in the rain-hit French GP. This was the first win for both Zarco and LCR in two years, and an important milestone in Honda’s rebuilding phase.
However, the Frenchman’s results deteriorated as the year went on, especially as he struggled to gel with the upgraded Honda after the summer break. He still ended the year as the highest-classified Honda rider in 12th, six points clear of Luca Marini on the factory bike.
Meanwhile, Chantra broke inside the top 15 on a handful of occasions, but could only amass seven points after missing five races in the middle of the campaign due to injury.
Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda
Photo by: Team LCR
LCR itself finished 10 out of 11 teams in the championship, scoring 155 points compared to 238 for the factory Honda.
Expectations are high for Chantra’s replacement Moreira as he graduates to the premier class on the back of his title-winning campaign in Moto2 last year. The Brazilian began his preparations for the new season in this week’s Sepang Shakedown, which was exclusively held for test riders, rookies and Group D manufacturers, setting the sixth fastest time aboard the RC213V.
With LCR’s launch complete, HRC remains the only team to reveal its 2026 livery. Honda has scheduled an online presentation on Monday ahead of the first full-fledged test of the year at Sepang on 3-5 February.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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