LCR Honda has announced a new title sponsor for the 2026 season, as a key partner from recent years is replaced.

Since Takaaki Nakagami took the second LCR MotoGP seat in 2018, the second bike in the Italian team’s garage has been sponsored by Asian oil giant Idemitsu.

It was long understood that Idemistu’s interest in supporting the second LCR bike was tied to the regional origin of the rider. So, when Nakagami retired at the end of the 2024 season, an Asian rider was sought to fill the gap in order to keep Idemitsu on-board.

Ai Ogura was the obvious choice, but he didn’t want to ride the Honda and signed instead for Aprilia, so Somkiat Chantra was promoted instead. Honda decided in 2025 that Chantra, who scored seven points in his rookie MotoGP season, did not have a future in MotoGP, so it decided to move him to WorldSBK and promote Diogo Moreira to fill the second LCR slot.

Moreira went on to win the Moto2 world title, but his Brazilian nationality didn’t suit Idemitsu, which has now been replaced.

Pro Honda is Honda’s own lubricants subsidiary and has featured on the fairing of the factory test team’s bike during wildcards since 2024. It will now be the title sponsor of Moreira’s side of the LCR team from 2026.

“The Honda LCR team is proud to announce a new partnership with Pro Honda, which will join the team from the 2026 season as title sponsor of Diogo Moreira’s project,” reads an announcement post on LCR’s social media.

“As a result, the team will compete under the new name Pro Honda LCR.”

Johann Zarco’s side of the LCR team will remain with the Castrol sponsorship it has had for several years.

Both halves of the LCR team will reveal their liveries on 1 February.