LCR Honda

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The team's origins trace back to 1996 when founder Lucio Cecchinello set up his own operation for the 125cc World Championship. The name LCR is an initialism for Lucio Cecchinello Racing. Early success arrived in 1998 when Noboru Ueda secured the team's first Grand Prix victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix, followed by Cecchinello's first win at the Madrid Grand Prix later that year. The partnership continued through 2000 with further wins and podiums before a switch to Aprilia motorcycles in 2001. Under Aprilia, Cecchinello achieved his first win with the brand at the Catalan Grand Prix. By 2002, LCR expanded into the 250cc class with riders like Casey Stoner and David Checa. In 2003, both classes saw three race wins each, though it marked the end of Cecchinello's riding career as he transitioned to full-time management.

In Their Own Story

The team's journey to MotoGP began in October 2005 with an agreement involving Casey Stoner and Yamaha support, but plans shifted after Stoner tested a Honda RC211V with the Honda Pons team. When sponsorship issues halted that deal, LCR re-signed Stoner in December 2005 and partnered with HRC to run the RC211V for the 2006 season. Stoner delivered immediate results, securing the team's first pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix and their first MotoGP podium in Turkey. Following Stoner's departure, Carlos Checa struggled to adapt to the 800cc bike in 2007 until Randy de Puniet returned in 2008. De Puniet eventually matched Stoner's achievement by securing a third-place finish at the British Grand Prix in 2009. The team expanded to two bikes in 2015 with Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller, but after CWM FX withdrew due to fraud allegations, Givi stepped in as sponsor. In 2016, Crutchlow delivered a historic season for the team, taking his first victory at Brno—the first win by a British rider since Barry Sheene in 1981—and another at Phillip Island.

Reader's Guide

LCR Honda's structure has shifted significantly over the years. In 2015, they expanded to two bikes: Cal Crutchlow on a factory-specification Honda RC213V and Jack Miller on an open-specification RC213V-RS. This era saw sponsor changes mid-season when CWM FX pulled out after police raids in March 2015, with Castrol introducing a new livery for Crutchlow at Sepang. By 2018, the team re-expanded to two bikes with Takaaki Nakagami partnering Crutchlow, running separate liveries with Idemitsu and Castrol as main sponsors respectively. The current lineup features Johann Zarco on a Castrol Honda LCR bike and Diogo Moreira on a Pro Honda LCR machine. Notable achievements include Stefan Bradl winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2012 after finishing eighth, and taking his first MotoGP podium at Laguna Seca in 2013 before a crash in Malaysia limited his final standing.

Did You Know?

• The name LCR is an initialism for Lucio Cecchinello Racing.
• Cal Crutchlow's 2016 victory at Brno was the first race win by a British rider in the 500cc/MotoGP class since Barry Sheene in 1981.
• Casey Stoner recorded the team's first pole position and first MotoGP podium during his single season with LCR in 2006.
• Randy de Puniet secured the team's second premier-class podium with a third-place finish at the British Grand Prix in 2009.
• In 2015, CWM FX pulled out of the team due to fraud allegations following a police raid in March.