Honda: 300 victories in the premier class
UNREACHED World champion Marc Marquez not only extended his lead in the 2019 MotoGP at the French GP in Le Mans. The Spaniard also gave Honda its 300th victory in the premier class. It all started with Jim Redman, when he scored the first win in the top category with the Honda RC181 at Hockenheim in 1966. Mike [...]
Jim Redman made the start when he scored the first victory in the highest category with the Honda RC181 at Hockenheim in 1966. Mike Hailwood followed suit in the same season, winning in Brno.
The next big Honda victory in the 500cc class came in 1982 on the NS500 at Spa-Francorchamps with Freddie Spencer. In the same year, Takazumi Katayama was the first Japanese to win.
In 1984, Honda came up with the legendary NSR500. The machine was good for 132 victories. Riders like Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Alex Criville and Eddie Lawson became icons of the premier class on the NSR500. Honda won the Constructors' World Championship with it seven times.
Successful four-stroke to the present
With the RC211V, Honda successfully entered the MotoGP era of four-stroke bikes right away in 2002, winning the very first race in Japan. Honda riders secured no fewer than 144 MotoGP victories on the RC211V, RC212V and RC213V.
The temporary crowning glory: Marco Marquez's 300th Honda victory last weekend at Le Mans - congratulations!