Everything you need to know about the LCR MotoGP team including current riders and Honda partnership

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LCR Team have been one of the best satellite MotoGP squads since Lucio Cecchinello debuted his outfit in the premier class and kicked off a long-time Honda partnership.

A career as just a motorcycle racer was no longer enough for Cecchinello in the 1990s, thus the Italian embarked on following in the footsteps of other champions who made the move from the grid to the pit wall. Cecchinello created LCR and reached MotoGP in only 11 years.

The early years of LCR Team were also a simplistic time, with Cecchinello overseeing a crew of just two mechanics using one van. But their operation has since expanded massively and seen icons of MotoGP in Casey Stoner, Carlos Checa and Cal Crutchlow race for LCR Team.

Stoner was the first rider to race for LCR Team in MotoGP and marked the start of their time as a premier satellite Honda outfit. Initially, LCR planned to debut in MotoGP in 2006 racing a Yamaha bike. But LCR did a deal with Honda after Stoner’s move to Honda Pons collapsed.

The would-be 2007 and 2011 MotoGP champion, Stoner, even took LCR’s first pole position in round two of the 2006 season at the Turkish Grand Prix. It was even at Istanbul Park that Stoner scored LCR’s first podium in P2 – 0.200 seconds behind race-winner Marco Melandri.

It took LCR a further decade to win their first MotoGP race after helping Crutchlow become the first British rider to win a premier class race since Barry Sheene in 1981, at the 2016 Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno. Crutchlow ultimately won three Grands Prix in six years at LCR.

So, with that in mind, MotoGP News takes a look at everything that you need to know about LCR Team from the satellite premier class outfit’s current riders to their Honda partnership…

LCR Team MotoGP team name

LCR Team is the official name of the MotoGP outfit Lucio Cecchinello founded. But LCR’s two bikes operate with different identities as Castrol LCR Honda plus Idemitsu LCR Honda, owing to their satellite Honda partnership and having a unique title sponsorship deal for each bike.

British oil firm Castrol and Japanese petroleum company Idemitsu have each sponsored one LCR bike since the 2018 campaign. Idemitsu initially signed a deal with LCR as a sponsor of Takaaki Nakagami for his rise into MotoGP from the Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Moto2 team.

LCR Team MotoGP founding year

Lucio Cecchinello founded LCR Team in 1996 to enter the 125cc world championship riding a Honda bike carrying the Italian’s name. LCR later graduated into the 250cc championship for the 2002 season with David Checa and Casey Stoner, whilst running in the two classes.

LCR also debuted in MotoGP with a one-bike entry for Stoner in 2006, before expanding to a two-bike entry from 2018. As a result of LCR’s secured presence in MotoGP, the team folded as a 250cc entry after 2007. LCR have also raced in the electric MotoE series since 2019.

LCR Team MotoGP current riders

LCR Team currently run Johann Zarco and Somkiat Chantra as their two full-time race riders for the 2025 MotoGP season. But neither Zarco nor Chantra are under contract to LCR, with both the French pilot and Thai rider holding factory contracts for Honda HRC through 2025.

LCR Team current MotoGP team manager and leadership hierarchy

LCR Team remain under the control of their founder, Lucio Cecchinello, who serves as team manager and owner. Cecchinello initially held a rider-manager role when he founded LCR in 1996 but ultimately retired from competing in 2003 to focus just on leading his racing team.

LCR Team are a MotoGP satellite outfit of Honda

All throughout the history of LCR Team in MotoGP since 2006, the Monte Carlo-based crew have been a satellite Honda entry. LCR have even always raced with a current-specification bike supplied from Honda all throughout their time competing in the premier class to date.

Which bike does LCR Team run in the 2025 MotoGP season?

Honda HRC currently supply LCR Team two of their factory-spec RC213V bikes for use in the 2025 MotoGP season. The RC213V debuted back in the 2012 MotoGP season and boasts a 1,000cc Liquid-cooled 90° V4 engine. Stefan Bradl was the first LCR rider to get an RC213V.

LCR Team MotoGP team lineage

The lineage of LCR Team starts and continues only with the crew Lucio Cecchinello founded in 1996. He initially created LCR as a small, one-bike entry to contend in the 125cc class. But the Italian has built LCR up over the years to become the MotoGP squad that they are today.

LCR Team MotoGP riders’ championships

To date, LCR Team are still yet to win a MotoGP riders’ championship or a title in any of the world championships the squad have entered. Casey Stoner and Roberto Locatelli secured LCR’s highest 250cc and 125cc class finishes with second place in 2005 and third in 2004.

LCR Team MotoGP teams’ championships

To date, LCR Team are still yet to win a MotoGP teams’ championship. But LCR have helped Honda to secure the manufacturers’ championship multiple times, including in the squad’s first premier class season in 2006 with Casey Stoner the second-best Honda rider in Turkey.

LCR Team factory base

LCR Team have a base registered in Monte Carlo and continue to work out of Monaco as an independent MotoGP squad, currently competing as a two-bike satellite Honda operation.

Factory address

LCR Team: LCR X-Racing S.a.m. 7, Rue du Gabian – 98000 Monaco, Monte Carlo