Honda reveals new MotoGP team manager as Puig steps down

A month after Honda officially announced that Alberto Puig will step down as team manager of its factory MotoGP team at the end of the season, the Japanese manufacturer confirmed on Thursday that current technical director Mikihiko Kawase will replace him.

Following the announcement of Puig’s new role, the former Spanish rider will move into a consultant role from 2027 onwards after spending nine years at the forefront of Honda’s MotoGP project and he won’t be as involved with the day-to-day running of the team.

Honda had initially opted for an interim solution, despite some confusion generated by the arrival of Trackhouse team principal Davide Brivio next year – his role will be focused more on marketing and business development rather than team management.

Autosport reported at the time that the Italian had not been selected as Puig’s replacement, as Honda’s preference was to appoint someone from within its own organisation.

Now that Puig’s successor has been officially named, it appears logical that Kawase, whose background is heavily technical, will oversee the engineering side of the operation in the garage, while Puig will continue to provide guidance on team management matters, particularly those relating to day-to-day operations, which are largely handled by European personnel.

At the same time, it is expected that both men will maintain Honda’s relationship with MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, the championship promoter, as well as the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA), particularly on political and regulatory matters.

In fact, Puig and Kawase already represented Honda at the MSMA meeting held during last Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Kawase possesses experience across nearly every aspect of motorcycle racing. In his younger years, he competed in Japan’s smaller-bike categories for almost a decade, continuing until the age of 28. To fund his racing activities, he simultaneously worked for several component suppliers before being recruited by Honda.

In 2012, he was transferred to Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) to work on the Moto3 project. As technical chief, he played a key role in securing the 2019 Moto3 world championship with Lorenzo Dalla Porta. That success paved the way for his move to MotoGP, where he was promoted to technical director of Honda’s premier-class project in 2024, a position he has held ever since.

“It is a great honour for me to have the opportunity to lead a team with such a rich history and so many achievements,” said Kawase. “I am grateful to Honda for this opportunity, and also to Alberto Puig, who has been a great mentor and advisor to me for many years.

“The support of both Honda and Alberto will be crucial to the team’s success as we approach one of the biggest regulatory changes the sport has seen since the transition from two-stroke to four-stroke engines.”

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– The Autosport.com Team