Honda announces riders for 2023, FIM Moto2 Idemitsu Honda Team Asia and Moto3 Honda Team Asia

For Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, Ai Ogura and Somkiat Chantra will continue to represent the team

Honda is participating in the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) MotoGP World Championship Moto2 class as IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia, and the Moto3 class as Honda Team Asia, to discover and nurture from the Asia region riders to compete at the highest levels. Honda has announced these teams' riders who will compete in the 2023 season.

For Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, Ai Ogura and Somkiat Chantra will continue to represent the Team. Both have shown an excellent progression during the current season, offering historical moments like the victory of Chantra at Mandalika or the 1-2 at the Red Bull Ring. Four races to go, Ogura is still fighting for the 2022 World title. For Honda Team Asia, Mario Suryo Aji and Taiyo Furusato will continue for a second season. Both are fulfilling the pre-established training program to perfection, so they deserve the confidence to continue for another season.

Hiroshi Aoyama will continue his role as team manager for both teams. Ai Ogura said that he is happy to have another chance next season with the same set-up.

"I'm happy to have another chance next season, with the same structure. I want to thank the Team, my sponsors and all the people to support me. This year we're fighting for the Championship. We're fully focused on achieving this objective. My challenge is to continue improving every race, every session, as much as possible, to be ready to do another step ahead," said Ai Ogura, according to a release. "I'm proud to continue for a fifth season with the Idemitsu Honda Team Asia. In 2022 I feel that I have improved a lot in riding and managing the races, living unforgettable moments like my victory in Indonesia. I'm sure in 2023 I'll be ready to fight for the Championship," said Somkiat Chantra.

"Next season, I will have the opportunity to continue on this team, and I'm excited about that. That means they trust in my capability to race at the top level. This year, I struggled with some physical problems. Although of this, I've learned a lot, scored some important points, and lived experiences like my front row in Mandalika. I'm happy to stay here. I will work hard during the winter to get stronger for the next season. I want to thank everyone who believes in me," said Mario Suryo Aji. "I would like to thank Honda for giving me the chance to continue this team in 2023. My first season has been exciting because I've been learning continually and getting confidence with my staff and the bike. After the summer break, I started to feel my growth in riding and improving my performance a lot. Of course, I should continue improving; this team is the best place to do it. I hope to return this trust in me with results," said Taiyo Furusato.

"First, I would like to thank Idemitsu and all our sponsors. I'm glad to continue another season together. In Moto2, we will have Ai Ogura and Somkiat Chantra again. As we've seen, they are very competitive in this category. We want to keep them for another season. They are still young and with a lot of space for improvement. Our target is to try fighting for the Championship and doing another good season together," said Hiroshi Aoyama. "The team structure will continue to be the same, based in Barcelona (Spain). I think we can fight again next season with both riders; we are looking forward to starting a new year with them. In Moto3 next season, we will continue with Mario Suryo Aji and Taiyo Furusato. They are rookie riders and have dedicated their first year to working, learning, and improving. We want to keep this progression to see how they can improve and perform next season. As a team, we will try to give the riders as much support as possible. They will keep the same structure in Spain. Now we are looking to start another season with them, and I hope we will have a good journey together," said the manager. (ANI)

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