Tetsuhiro Kuwata is going to leave the Honda project in MotoGP. The official announcement has not yet come out, but if the rumors are confirmed, he will be the third Japanese leader to leave in a short time after former management director Takeo Yokoyama and technical director Shnichi Kokubu.
The Japanese constructor is going through one of the most difficult periods in its history in MotoGP. It has not won any titles since 2019 and competitiveness has declined considerably – it did not win any races in 2022 and last year the only rider to win with an RC213V was from the LCR Honda satellite team.
According to Motorsport.com, Kuwata is now stepping down from his position as general manager of the racing operations division. His replacement is Taichi Honda, who was part of the off-road department – including participation in the Dakar. The Honda website Crash.net cites a source clarifying that Kuwata’s departure ‘is part of the normal management rotation of HRC’.
Kuwata joined Honda Motor in 2000, but has only been with Honda Racing Corporation since 2011. Five years later, he was promoted to the position he held until now, replacing Shuhei Nakamoto. He oversaw activities not only in MotoGP, but also in motorcycle racing in general, including the Dakar.
