Honda Moto3 rider Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing NSF250RW) claimed victory in the Moto3 class, in Round 12 of the 2020 FIM World Championship Grand Prix held at MotorLand Aragón in Spain. Beginning with its first world grand prix race in 1961, in the 125cc class of the Spanish Grand Prix, Honda has now achieved an unprecedented 800 grand prix wins. In 1954, Honda’s founder Soichiro Honda declared entry into the premier motorsports event of the time, the Isle of Man TT, aiming to “realize the dream of becoming the world’s best.”
More details
After five years of developing a racing machine, Honda became the first Japanese motorcycle manufacturer to enter the Isle of Man TT race.
Detailed journey
The following year, in 1960, Honda began competing in the 125cc and 250cc classes of the FIM Road Racing World Championship, and in 1961, Tom Phillis won the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix, giving Honda its first victory. Since then, Honda forayed into the 50cc and 350cc classes in 1962, and the 500cc class in 1966, and won the championship in all five classes in 1966. By the end of the 1967 season, when Honda paused its factory racing activities, to be restarted 11 years later, it had accumulated 138 grand prix wins.
In 1979, Honda returned to FIM Road Racing World Championship racing in the 500cc class. Three years later in 1982, American rider Freddie Spencer won Round 7 in Belgium on his Honda NS500, giving the company its first victory since returning to world grand prix racing. Honda then went on to win grand prix races in the 125cc and 250cc classes as well.
As a result, Honda achieved its 500th victory in 2001, when Italian rider Valentino Rossi won in the 500cc class at the season-opening Japan Grand Prix. In 2015, Marc Márquez on his Honda RC213V gave Honda its 700th grand prix win when he took the checkered flag in the MotoGP class of Round 10 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, USA.
Official statement
Takahiro Hachigo, President, CEO and Representative Director, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. “I am proud of Honda’s 800th FIM World Championship Grand Prix victory. I am deeply grateful to the Honda fans worldwide for their contributions to, and unwavering support for Honda’s racing activities. I would also like to thank all of those before us for their passion and dedication to overcome the countless problems and lead us from 1959 to where we stand now. Honda sees this moment as a waypoint, and will continue to fight for victory. We look forward to your continued support.”
The Road to 800 FIM World Championship Grand Prix Victories
1959: First Japanese motorcycle manufacturer to race in the Isle of Man TT
1960: Honda enters Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix 125cc and 250cc classes
1961: First victory: Tom Phillis (Australia) wins 125cc class in Round 1, Spain
1961: Honda wins riders and manufacturers championship in 125cc and 250cc classes
1962: Honda joins 50cc and 350cc classes
1966: 100th victory: Luigi Taveri (Switzerland) wins 50cc class in Dutch TT
1966: Honda joins 500cc class, and wins manufacturers titles in all 5 classes
1967: Honda halts Road Racing World Championship activities (138 wins)
1979: Honda returns to Road Racing World Championship activities after 11 years
1982: (British GP / 500cc class / NR500) Freddie Spencer (USA) wins Belgian GP giving Honda its first win since returning
1983: Freddie Spencer gives Honda its first Riders championship
1983: Honda wins Manufacturer’s championship for the first time in 16 years
1985: Honda returns to 250cc class with RS250RW
1985: Freddie Spencer becomes first rider to win both 250cc and 500cc championships
1987: Honda returns to 125cc class with RS125R
1988: 200th victory: Jim Filice (USA) wins 250cc class in U.S. GP
1992: 300th victory: Àlex Crivillé wins 500cc class in Dutch TT
1994: Mick Doohan (Australia) wins Riders championship in the 500cc class
1996: Mick Doohan wins 500cc Riders championship for 5 consecutive years until 1998
400th victory: Haruchika Aoki (Japan) wins 125cc class in Brazilian GP
2000: 500th victory: Valentino Rossi (Italy) wins 500cc class in Japanese GP
2002: 500cc class replaced by MotoGP (4-stroke 990cc) class, Honda enters with RC211V
2002: Valentino Rossi becomes the first MotoGP class champion
2005: 600th victory: Dani Pedrosa (Spain) wins 250cc in Australian GP
2010: 250cc class replaced by Moto2 (4-stroke 600cc one-make series)
2012: Honda supplies Moto2 class engines until 2018125cc class replaced by Moto3 (4-stroke 250cc), Honda enters with NSF250R
2015: 700th victory: Marc Márquez (Spain) wins MotoGP class in Indianapolis GP
2020: 800th victory: Jaume Masia (Spain) wins Moto3 class in Teruel GP