Honda relocates Kuwata, HRC director, out of MotoGP

This is the latest movement in the restructuring process that Honda is going through, which began just over a year ago and which, most likely, will not stop with the exit of Tetsushiro Kuwata, who leaves MotoGP to join be part of HRC's automotive area.

The director, who will keep his post until April 1st (when the calendar of Japanese companies starts from scratch), when he will be replaced by Taichi, who comes from Honda's off-road department and who had recently taken charge of the department which raced in the Dakar Rally.

Although Honda, from Japan, is at pains to underline that this maneuver is not the answer to the poor results of its teams in MotoGP in recent years, it is difficult to think that the sporting defeat, combined with the farewell of Marc Marquez, had no influence in the decision. In this sense, it is worth underlining that Honda's latest triumph bears the signature of Alex Rins, in last year's Grand Prix of the Americas, and that the brand finished in last position in the constructors' standings, with a gap of 11 points from Yamaha despite having double the bikes. Marquez, at Motegi, achieved the second of the only two podiums won in 2023 by HRC riders.

Kuwata has been linked to the MotoGP project since 2010, the year in which he arrived as development strategy engineer, before moving on to the role of general manager of the entire racing department six years later (in 2016). Kuwata's exit follows that of Shinichi Kokubu, Honda's technical manager in MotoGP until last year's Japanese Grand Prix, when he was replaced by Shin Sato.

Previously, during the winter, Honda had decided to move Takeo Yokoyama, Ken Kawauchi's predecessor, who now works at the company's headquarters, to Tokyo. Honda lives immersed in a whirlwind of changes that aim to bring the brand back to where it belongs, in terms of history and palmarès.

20 days before the start of the MotoGP World Championship, Joan Mir and Luca Marini, Marquez's replacement, continue to look for that lack of grip that now seems endemic to the RC213V. On the first day of testing in Qatar, the last session before the start of the season, the Majorcan finished 13th, seven tenths behind leader Pecco Bagnaia. The driver from Tavullia, however, did not go beyond the 18th time, 1.3 seconds behind the reigning champion.