Why Honda won't qualify for '21 MotoGP concessions
Honda will not qualify for concessions for the 2021 MotoGP season even if it fails to score a podium in a so-far tough 2020 campaign.
For the first time since 2008, no Honda rider has scored a podium in the first five races of a season, with the best-placed HRC rider in the standings LCR's Takaaki Nakagami on the year-old RC213V in sixth on 46 points.
The top 2020 RC213V runner is rookie Alex Marquez having scored just 15 points, while LCR's Cal Crutchlow sits in 21st with just seven points to his name.
Honda was dealt a major blow when world champion Marc Marquez broke his arm at the Spanish Grand Prix and has been ruled out since, with HRC confirming he will be sidelined for at least another two months.
Should Honda fail to achieve a podium this season and gain no concession points, under normal circumstances it would qualify for concession benefits for 2021.
Due to the 2020 season being shortened to 14 races from 20 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the concession rule was tweaked for this year so that they could only be lost and not gained.
This is why Honda will not benefit from concessions in 2021 should its miserable 2020 season continue.
Results-based concessions were introduced into the regulations in 2014, whereby new manufacturers or those who haven't won a dry grand prix since 2013 are afforded certain benefits.
View photos
Why Honda won't qualify for '21 MotoGP concessions
Currently, those concession benefits are extra engines - nine instead of seven - and exemption from the ban on in-season engine development for non-concession manufacturers, as well as the ability to introduce more than one aerodynamic fairing update during a campaign.
Concession manufacturers are also permitted to six wildcard entries instead of three, and are allowed to freely test with race riders during the year.
Should a concession manufacturer gain six concession points across a season, with three awarded for a win, two for second and one for third, those benefits are stripped away for the following season - except the unrestricted testing, which is cancelled with immediate effect.
Though wet results were exempt from being awarded with concession points, that now no longer applies.
Ducati was the first concession manufacturer to lose them for the 2016 season, followed by Suzuki in 2017 and again for 2019 after a podium-less 2017 saw the Japanese marque gain them back for 2018.
KTM is the latest manufacturer to lose concessions, with Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira winning at Brno and Red Bull Ring in the space of three weeks gaining the Austrian marque the required six concession points.
Given the engine freeze in place for all manufacturers this year as part of COVID-19-related cost-saving measures, the manufacturers' association will allow KTM to unseal its engines to develop them ahead of them being homologated again ahead of the first round of the 2021 campaign.
Of the six manufacturers on the grid, only Aprilia will benefit from concessions in 2021.
Get unlimited access to the world’s best motorsport journalism with Autosport Plus
According to most manufacturers and enthusiasts, there are six main categories of motorcycles you can ride; cruiser, sport, touring, standard, dual purpose, and dirt bike. What this means is that no matter your intentions, there's a bike out there with your name on it if you choose to go looking for adventure, and you can always customize something to your liking as well.
Both Honda and Suzuki have been manufacturing motorcycles dating back to the 1950s, but their almost 70-year runs have been different on a number of fronts. Honda is involved in many other industries including auto, boating, power equipment, and robotics (remember ASIMO?), and despite all that diversity, the company is still the largest bike manufacturer on Earth, with many new exciting products on the way. Suzuki on the other hand has chosen to focus more on motorcycles over the decades, while concurrently producing donor automobiles and engines for other manufacturers. They boast a rich racing history and produce some of the fastest bikes ever made.
With Suzuki's rich racing history and Honda's reputation for high build quality, which company makes the better bike for you? Let's find out.
For Beginners
via: Drivepedia
With an almost cult-like following, the Suzuki SV650 is a lot of sportbike for the $7500.00 price tag, and of course, many used examples are out there as well. It has great cornering, ABS, 'Low RPM Assist' which helps prevent stalling, and just enough power and forward leaning posture to make you think you're driving a faster machine without getting you into too much trouble.
advertising
For the less adventurous, the truly best starter bike is a cruiser model like the iconic Honda Rebel 250, 300 or 500. The relaxed low-slung saddle, leaned back rider position and smooth ride are ideal for the long drives you need while getting used to the dynamics of the road, and its attractive styling belies the fact it isn't equipped to drive aggressively.
Carved as an effigy to the deadly fast Peregrine Falcon, Suzuki's GSX1300R Hayabusa boasts a top-speed of 200 mph and a whiplash-inducing 0-60 mph time of 2.47 seconds. In 2020 it features a fully adjustable KYB suspension, Ramair intake, Brembo brakes and has "exceptional control in tight corners". Seen above in 'Metallic Thunder Gray', you can have all of this for a mere $15K, and that's the beauty of Suzuki.
advertising
If you love Honda and want some speed, their fastest bike in 2020 is the CBR600RR, with a blistering 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds. For $17K you get a growling 999.8cc engine, ABS, Brembo brakes and an Ohlins Smart electronically adaptive front suspension.
The blacked-out Suzuki Boulevard M109R Boss is truly a beautiful cruising machine. It features a 109 cubic-inch, 1783cc V-Twin engine with huge 4.4-inch forged aluminum pistons that drive the equally huge 240/40 x 18 low profile rear tire hiding behind the dual slash-cut mufflers. Twin front floating disc-brakes with dual-piston calipers make sure you can stop after a long drive celebrating the measly $15K you just spent buying it.
Honda's closest offering is the 2020 Shadow Phantom starting at $7900.00. In true Honda fashion, it's an understated retro-styled cruiser featuring a 745cc V-Twin, wire-spoked wheels and a rear drum brake. Best used for urban settings rather than long road trips, it still manages to hit all the right spots with comfort, agility, seating height and light 549-lb curb weight.
Dual-sport bikes are always super lightweight and feature a high seating position to navigate over dirt trails and Supermoto courses. One of the best is the $5200.00 Honda CRF250L, equipped with a 250cc engine, front and rear disc brakes, and a long-travel Showa suspension to absorb contact. Though not particularly great in any place, it can be ridden virtually anywhere with confidence, which also makes it a terrific full-sized learner bike. Maybe the best thing ever written about a motorcycle was for this bike; "Post apocalypse, CRFs will rule the pockmarked landscape”.
advertising
Suzuki's also offers a great entry-level dual sport bike in the 2020 Suzuki DR200S. The bike features a 199cc engine that gets 88 mpg, telescopic front forks. a push-button starter, and sells for $4700.00. Equally adept on pavement or dirt, this light-weight machine has been called "the greatest slow bike ever" by some reviewers.
Buying a motorcycle truly comes down to personal preference. Honda and Suzuki are two of the top manufacturers with some of the best build quality and long-term reliability in the business, so you really can't go wrong with either company, but new Suzuki's are generally cheaper than new Honda's. Now go have fun!
Micah Zumar is a singer/songwriter, lyric writer, aspiring author, music producer and performer based in Montreal, Canada. He has a degree in Psychology and Small Business Management, which came in very handy while selling frozen meat door to door out of the back of a Mazda B2200. A true rock-star and renaissance man at heart, Micah loves sports cars but has owned 17 old vehicles of all shapes and sizes (and counting) from a Porsche to a Sedan de Ville . Insatiable curiosity drives this Gemini to question everything, while a love of nature serves to calm the savage soul....and he makes a mean grilled cheese.
“If investing is entertaining, if your having fun, you’re probably not making any money. Good investing is boring.”The words are George Soros’, and whatever you may think of his politics or activism, it is impossible to deny that he is one of the world’s greatest stock market investors. In some 30 years of active trading, his hedge fund saw an annualized average return exceeding 30%; it was one of the greatest runs of sustained profits in Wall Street’s history. Soros ran his hedge fund behind the scenes, building a portfolio based on reliable dividends and solid returns.He has continued that strategy in recent years, after taking his firm private. Considering his aphorism, ‘Good investing is boring,' it’s no wonder that Soros gravitates toward stocks with proven returns. His recent new positions simply bear this out, as Soros has bought into three stocks considerable return potential – dividend yields of 4.5% or better and upside potential starting at 15%, according to the analyst community. With this in mind, we used TipRanks database to find out what else makes these picks so compelling.Blackstone Mortgage Trust (BXMT)The first Soros pick we’re looking at is Blackstone Mortgage Trust, a real estate investment trust. It’s no wonder that Soros turned to BXMT if he was looking for dividend returns – REITs are well known for their high-yield dividends. Blackstone, which holds a portfolio exceeding $167 billion in real property assets under management, focuses on collateral-based senior mortgage loans in the Western markets: North America, Europe, Australia.After a hard hit in Q1, due to the coronavirus crisis, Blackstone’s Q2 report gave investors a pleasant surprise by beating expectations on both revenues and EPS. While the top line came in at $107.1 million, or 1% above the forecast, the per-share earnings of 56 cents showed a stronger beat of 14%. In a display of confidence, the company has kept its dividend payment stable through the chaotic first half of the year. The 62-cent quarterly dividend was paid out in mid-July, and at $2.48 per share annualized, it offers investors a robust 10.3% return. That’s more than 5x the average found among S&P listed stocks – and 4x the average found among peer companies in the financial sector.High returns are always an attraction for Soros, and he initiated his position in BXMT with 355,000 shares. At current share prices, these shares are worth more than $8.5 million.Analyst Donald Fandetti, covering BXMT from Wells Fargo, sees reason for optimism in Blackstone’s balance sheet, and what that means for the dividend. He writes, “Reflecting a competitive advantage, BXMT was able to raise $607 mm of debt and equity capital in the quarter, boosting their liquidity to $1.3B (mostly cash). This puts them in a position to go on offense as high return opportunities begin to arise… We believe BXMT will continue paying their quarterly dividend unless the economic situation deteriorates further…” Fandetti’s comments back up his Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating, and his $33 price target suggests a 37% upside for BXMT in the coming year. (To watch Fandetti’s track record, click here)Overall, Blackstone Mortgage has a Moderate Buy rating from the analyst consensus, with 5 recent reviews breaking down to 2 Buys and 3 Holds. Shares are selling for $23.79, and the $27.75 average price target implies a 15% upside potential. (See BXMT stock analysis on TipRanks)Truist Financial (TFC)Formed this past December, through a merger between SunTrust and BB&T, Truist is the eighth largest bank holding company in the US. Its main subsidiaries operate over 2,000 bank branches in 17 states, with company headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. Like many banks with a reliance on brick-and-mortar retail branches, the company’s shares saw heavy depreciation during the corona crisis, and have only partially recovered. Through the hard 1H20, Truist paid out its dividend regularly, at 45 cents per common share. The most recent declaration, from August 13 for a September 1 payment, continues that reliability. The 45-cent payment gives a yield of 4.5%, strong by any standard, and made better by the company’s reliable payment history.Soros’ fund took the bank merger as an opportunity to buy into a larger bank with greater resources. The billionaire’s fund bought 498,669 shares of TFC, a holding now worth $19.74 million – hardly chump change, even for George Soros, and an indication of a commitment to the new holding.Wall Street agrees that TFC is a buying proposition. Wolfe Research analyst Bill Carcache rates the stock an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating, and his $52 price target indicated confidence in a 31% upside potential. (To watch Carcache’s track record, click here)Backing his stance, the 5-star wrote, “We see opportunity for TFC to drive CET1 closer to peer levels as we move beyond near-term merger execution and COVID-19 related risks. TFC’s medium-term CET1 target of 10% appears conservative relative... By our math, each 50bp reduction in CET1 would translate into an ~90bp improvement to ROTCE.”TFC's Moderate Buy analyst consensus rating on Truist comes from 7 reviews, including 5 Buys and 2 Holds. The average price target of $45.86 implies a 16% upside from the trading price of $39.12. (See TFC stock analysis at TipRanks)US Bancorp (USB)Last up on today’s list is another bank holding company, US Bancorp. The parent company of US Bank, and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US Bancorp is the fifth largest of American banks, providing banking, investment, and mortgage services to individuals, small and medium business, and government entities, mainly in the Midwest and West. The company boasts over 3,000 branch locations and 4,800 ATM machines across is service area, and a market cap of $56 billion.The large network and deep pockets came in handy for the company during 1H20, when earnings dropped from $1.08 in Q4 to 41 cents in Q2. Revenues grew slightly during the same period, from $5.6 to $5.8 billion. The social shutdowns and consequent reduction in traffic at branches cut into day-to-day business. The second quarter saw business recover to a degree, with a 7% gain in total loans and an 11% gain in average deposit balances.The company’s regular quarterly dividend was paid out in mid-July at 42 cents, the fourth quarter in a row at this rate. The $1.68 annualized payment gives the dividend a yield of 4.5%, and the company’s 11-year history of regular dividend increases gives it a clear attraction for return-minded investors.Clearly, Soros would agree. His fund staked a position in USB by buying 614,294 shares of the stock. The holding is worth $22.85 million at the current share price. Turning to Wall Street, Chris Kotowski, a 4-star analyst with Oppenheimer, sees USB as well-adapted for the current 'coronavirus environment.“USB remains the "flight to safety" name in the space as the diversified model is able to generate pre-provision earnings that could handily fund future potential reserve builds without diluting TBV… UBS guided to a stable revenue and expense outlook. NII is expected to be flat in 3Q20 compared to 2Q20, mortgage banking could be up Y/Y but lower than 2Q20, and payment is trending up due to the gradual re-opening of economy. USB also expects non-interest expense to be stable in 3Q20 vs. 2Q20 and FY2020 tax rate of 15%," Kotowski opined.To this end, Kotowski rates USB shares an Outperform (i.e. Buy), which is supported by a $75 price target that implies an upside potential of 101% for the coming year. (To watch Kotowski’s track record, click here)All in all, US Bancorp holds a Moderate Buy rating from the analyst consensus, based on 6 Buys, 4 Holds, and 1 Sell set in recent weeks. The stock is selling for $36.82, and the $44.40 average price target suggests it has room for 21% growth in the next 12 months. (See USB stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
Roseville, CA- After years of venturing slightly into green automobiles, Honda has made a firm commitment for the future.
Honda previously announced that by 2022 it will remove all its vehicles in Europe that rely solely on internal combustion engines. That’s coming from an auto manufacturer that in 2019 had only 7 percent global sales of hybrids.
Last year, the new Honda CR-V hybrid was unveiled in European markets. Successful overseas, the 2020 Honda CR-V hybrid is now available in the U.S. This is not only the first electrified CR-V, it’s also Honda’s first all-wheel-drive hybrid vehicle.
The CR-V has a tremendous reputation and has been the top-selling compact SUV in the U.S. for more than two decades. A year ago, Honda sold 384,168 CR-Vs, second only to the Toyota RAV4, representing the most in its history. CR-V sales have annually exceeded 300,000 since 2013.
With that type of track record, it’s unlikely the CR-V hybrid won’t generate solid sales numbers. With a starting price just under $28,000, the CR-V is priced a bit lower than its two primary rivals – hybrid versions of the RAV4 and Ford Escape.
Part of the fifth CR-V generation introduced in 2017, the hybrid features a roomy interior, secure handling, sufficient performance, is fuel efficient, and every model has AWD.
Offered in four trim models (LX, EX, EX-L, Touring), the CR-V hybrid has one engine choice, a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder that’s paired to a hybrid system and generates a combined 212 horsepower (22 more than the gas version). It uses the same two-motor system as the Honda Accord hybrid and has four driving modes – Sport, Econ, EV, Normal.
Although the CR-V has been criticized by some as having lackluster performance, we found it satisfying on a lengthy mountainous drive where the elevation climbed to around 5,000 feet. The hybrid goes 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds, gets 35-40 mpg, and travels roughly 665 miles on a single fill-up (14-gallon fuel tank).
One always feels safe behind the wheel of a CR-V. The hybrid is no different, delivering precise steering, confidence on curvy roads, while also fitting easily into tight parking spaces. Standard safety features include collision mitigation braking, lane keeping assist, and road departure mitigation.
The CR-V accommodates five people and gives each one a solid degree of comfort. Up front, the seating affords better than average head and leg room. Since this is not a cavernous SUV, don’t expect tons of room in the back seat. Yet it’s good enough to provide a comfortable stay on long rides and the cargo area (33.2 cubic feet; 68.7 cubes with rear seats folded down) is solid.
One interior shortcoming is the small, outdated 5-inch touchscreen can be fussy to use and doesn’t include a separate tuning knob. Also, Apple CarPlay and Android capability are options.
Priced approximately $2,500 more than the gas-fueled version, the 2020 Honda CR-V hybrid gives folks something to ponder when shopping for the popular compact SUV. The hybrid has standard AWD, good fuel economy, and a comfortable ride.
For the first time since 1982, no Honda rider has scored a podium in the first five races of a season, with the best-placed HRC rider in the standings LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami on the year-old RC213V in sixth on 46 points
The top 2020 RC213V runner is rookie Alex Marquez having scored just 15 points, while LCR’s Cal Crutchlow sits in 21st with just seven points to his name.
Should Honda fail to achieve a podium this season and gain no concession points, under normal circumstances it would qualify for concession benefits for 2021.
Due to the 2020 season being shortened to 14 races from 20 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the concession rule was tweaked for this year so that they could only be lost and not gained.
This is why Honda will not benefit from concessions in 2021 should its miserable 2020 season continue.
Read Also:
Results-based concessions were introduced into the regulations in 2014, whereby new manufacturers or those who haven’t won a dry grand prix since 2013 are afforded certain benefits.
Currently, those concession benefits are extra engines – nine instead of seven – and exemption from the ban on in-season engine development for non-concession manufacturers, as well as the ability to introduce more than one aerodynamic fairing update during a campaign.
Concession manufacturers are also permitted to six wildcard entries instead of three, and are allowed to freely test with race riders during the year.
Should a concession manufacturer gain six concession points across a season, with three awarded for a win, two for second and one for third, those benefits are stripped away for the following season – except the unrestricted testing, which is cancelled with immediate effect.
Though wet results were exempt from being awarded with concession points, that now no longer applies.
Ducati was the first concession manufacturer to lose them for the 2016 season, followed by Suzuki in 2017 and again for 2019 after a podium-less 2017 saw the Japanese marque gain them back for 2018.
KTM is the latest manufacturer to lose concessions, with Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira winning at Brno and Red Bull Ring in the space of three weeks gaining the Austrian marque the required six concession points.
Our broad international audience is so efficient we rarely get no response when we ask its help. To date, that was the case only with an Austrian crash involving a Honda e. It was the first accident we heard about with Honda’s EV. Since it was a test-drive unit – with stickers on the side of the hatchback – we are almost sure the driver was connected to a dealer. Now, a Honda e reservation holder in Germany reported behavior issues with the car.
Arwin Struwe will soon pick up his EV, but he managed to get a test-drive unit for the weekend. He seized the opportunity to travel with the vehicle. Each of the incidents he experienced at the wheel happened in a different city.
The more serious one was in Siegsdorf, as you can see in the map above. He was entering Anschlussstelle Traunstein (AS 112), coming from B306.
“On the left lane, the back of the car almost passed me, and we have been lucky it did not result in an accident. It was raining, and almost on a straight road, I accelerated near maximum, and there was no ESP active, not even a sign in the dashboard that there was a dangerous situation.”
This is precisely what we imagine to have happened with the Austrian Honda e. Considering it has a short wheelbase and a lot of weight for a small car, being a rear-wheel-drive car may make it quite unpredictable in slippery road conditions. The Smart Fortwo and Forfour (as well as the current Renault Twingo) dodged that with heavy electronic aids.
Unfortunately, Struwe and his wife would feel the rear axle prank them again on August 30, at night. He was in Eggenfelden at the time, which is around 80 km (50 mi) from Siegsdorf.
“Yesterday evening, it was still raining, and, on a roundabout with cobblestone, we experienced the same dangerous oversteering again. For me, it looks like ESP is not active at all, at least on the first batch of test cars. Did you have any more information about that accident in the meantime? This all is very concerning!”
Unfortunately, we had nothing to share with Struwe, so we asked Honda not only for information on the Austrian accident but also about how efficient ESP tests indicated the Honda e is. It concerns that the car may be so tricky in wet roads. And we are heading towards winter. The Honda e will soon face ice on the pavement as well.
Honda still did not reply to our questions, but we will either update this article or write a new one when it does.
For our colleagues in the motoring writing world that have a Honda e for evaluation, we suggest to test it in slippery conditions. We would try to perform one ourselves if we had access to a Honda e. As we don’t, it does not matter who releases the information, as long as it reaches consumers quickly.
Struwe would appreciate it: he is pondering on canceling his order.
“When I accelerated on the motorway, I remember that the asphalt changed, and the car lost traction, resulting in this massive wheel spin. My wife is now very concerned as she will need to drive it, and she wanted a safe car with all the latest features.
All the other sensors in the car are very sensitive, like following the car ahead or the lane assistant, but traction is not active at all.
When I return the car this afternoon, I will report this to my dealer. I will let him know what critical situations we faced and that we need proof or a statement from Honda that the issue is solved before we take over our own car.”
Have you driven a Honda e lately, especially in low-friction situations? Please share your impressions with us through contact@insideevs.com or our Facebook page. The more people can tell us how the Honda e behaves, the better. As we said, winter is coming...
Yamaha expects sales to grow again from next fiscal
Key Highlights
Yamaha India had resumed manufacturing operations from May
In July, the company sold around 26,373 motorcycles and 23,616 scooters
Yamaha believes the upcoming festive season would be the first stage effort to revive the economy
Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha expects sales to remain in slow lane in the current fiscal due to the COVID-19 pandemic and growth to pick up in next fiscal, as per a senior company official.
The company, which has three manufacturing facilities at Surajpur (Chhattisgarh), Faridabad (Haryana) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu), expects production to touch pre-Covid levels only in the next financial year with muted demand in the current fiscal.
Yamaha had resumed manufacturing operations from May as per government's standard operating procedures (SOPs), and currently its output is around 50 to 60 per cent of the total capacity at the production facilities.
"We will be able to achieve pre-Covid level production targets in the next fiscal only," Yamaha Motor India Sales Senior Vice President Ravinder Singh told PTI.
The current fiscal will continue with stifled sales volume owing to low demand due to the prolonged lockdown, disruption in manufacturing operations and supply chain as well as social distancing, he added.
"However, the demand is expected to gradually grow from the next fiscal, although the total sales volume for the year 2020 will remain the lowest in a decade," Singh noted.
There have been issues related to availability of skilled manpower for core processes like welding, painting, casting and moulding, among others, but the company has managed it quite well by continuous training and upskilling of existing workforce to handle these critical functions, Singh said.
As a result, the company can now utilise the trained and skilled workforce on a rotation basis as per the requirement in different functions, he added.
In July, the company sold around 26,373 motorcycles and 23,616 scooters, Singh noted. "So, we can say both the motorcycle and scooter models have contributed equally to the overall company's sales," he added.
Right now, the company's focus is to rejoin the market while revitalising the excitement that has effaced out owing to the lockdown, Singh said.
He added that the upcoming festive season would be the first stage effort to revive the economy.
Like every business, the two-wheeler maker is also gearing up with regular monitoring of dealers' stock and inventories, observing safety and hygiene in showrooms as per government guidelines and planning promotions through digital mediums, Singh said.
"The early signs of an upward trend have already been found in the June and July sales volumes, and although the whole year has gone into being soft regarding sales revenue, the festive seasons are expected to offer a partial recovery of the market demand," he added.
The festive season has an appetite for a certain demand which is the outcome of a favourable monsoon and profitable farm output or a planned purchase and paid out bonuses, Singh said.
Yamaha has ventured out to create an optimum digital reach, he said.
"Although exceeding sale numbers of the last year with 2020 sales will be among the very last to expect with record businesses faltering and human lives lost due to the COVID 19 impact," he noted.
The company will continue to be forward looking with a focused approach towards contactless business operations that curb physical contacts and calibrating digital technologies in offering more comfort and convenience of purchase, he added.
MIE came into being last year as a one-bike satellite team to support Honda's revamped works World Superbike team, which was operated jointly by Moriwaki and Althea.
As Honda took direct control of its factory team in 2020, the Moriwaki-Althea alliance continued with MIE expanding to field two brand-new CBR1000RR-Rs.
Takumi Takahashi contested the Phillip Island opener alone before being joined by Lorenzo Gabellini, replacing original signing Jordi Torres, for the second round at Jerez onwards.
However, in a brief statement issued on Sunday after the conclusion of last weekend's Aragon round, it was announced that Althea will no longer be part of MIE Racing going forward.
The team will scale back to a single bike for Takahashi for the remainder of the season.
“After many years of great motorsports friendship with [Althea boss] Mr. Genesio Bevilacqua, from 2019 we have undertaken a project in WSBK together," commented MIE team boss and Moriwaki managing director Midori Moriwaki.
"It was a challenging project for all of us, but I could make it happen because of Mr. Bevilacqua. Since we collaborated in the Moriwaki Italian Junior Cup back in 2008, we have always shared the same passion for motorsports.
"This time we have chosen to go in different directions, but our friendship will never end, and I deeply appreciate all the support gotten from Mr. Genesio Bevilacqua and Althea Racing."
Three-time Suzuka 8 Hours winner and 2017 All-Japan Superbike champion Takahashi scored his first point of 2020 last weekend at Aragon by finishing 15th in the first race.
Italian Superbike regular Gabellini meanwhile failed to score a point in nine races for MIE, with his best result with the squad being 17th place.
Honda will not qualify for concessions for the 2021 MotoGP season even if it fails to score a podium in a so-far tough 2020 campaign.
For the first time since 2008, no Honda rider has scored a podium in the first five races of a season, with the best-placed HRC rider in the standings LCR's Takaaki Nakagami on the year-old RC213V in sixth on 46 points.
The top 2020 RC213V runner is rookie Alex Marquez having scored just 15 points, while LCR's Cal Crutchlow sits in 21st with just seven points to his name.
Honda was dealt a major blow when world champion Marc Marquez broke his arm at the Spanish Grand Prix and has been ruled out since, with HRC confirming he will be sidelined for at least another two months.
Should Honda fail to achieve a podium this season and gain no concession points, under normal circumstances it would qualify for concession benefits for 2021.
Due to the 2020 season being shortened to 14 races from 20 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the concession rule was tweaked for this year so that they could only be lost and not gained.
This is why Honda will not benefit from concessions in 2021 should its miserable 2020 season continue.
Results-based concessions were introduced into the regulations in 2014, whereby new manufacturers or those who haven't won a dry grand prix since 2013 are afforded certain benefits.
Currently, those concession benefits are extra engines - nine instead of seven - and exemption from the ban on in-season engine development for non-concession manufacturers, as well as the ability to introduce more than one aerodynamic fairing update during a campaign.
Concession manufacturers are also permitted to six wildcard entries instead of three, and are allowed to freely test with race riders during the year.
Should a concession manufacturer gain six concession points across a season, with three awarded for a win, two for second and one for third, those benefits are stripped away for the following season - except the unrestricted testing, which is cancelled with immediate effect.
Though wet results were exempt from being awarded with concession points, that now no longer applies.
Ducati was the first concession manufacturer to lose them for the 2016 season, followed by Suzuki in 2017 and again for 2019 after a podium-less 2017 saw the Japanese marque gain them back for 2018.
KTM is the latest manufacturer to lose concessions, with Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira winning at Brno and Red Bull Ring in the space of three weeks gaining the Austrian marque the required six concession points.
Given the engine freeze in place for all manufacturers this year as part of COVID-19-related cost-saving measures, the manufacturers' association will allow KTM to unseal its engines to develop them ahead of them being homologated again ahead of the first round of the 2021 campaign.
Of the six manufacturers on the grid, only Aprilia will benefit from concessions in 2021.
- Scott Dixon holds off Takuma Sato to score Honda's sixth win of 2020 at WWT Raceway
- Win is Dixon's 50TH, third all-time and highest among current drivers
- Second round of NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader race weekend runs Sunday
MADISON, Ill., Aug. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Dixon vaulted into the lead following the final round of pit stops in today's opening round in the doubleheader Bommarito Auto Group 500 race weekend, then held off a charging Takuma Sato to score Honda's sixth NTT INDYCAR SERIES race victory of the season.
The win is Dixon's fourth in eight races this season, and the 50th of his career, leading all active drivers. Honda, with six wins in 2020, now leads the INDYCAR Manufacturers' Championship by 101 points over rival Chevrolet (688-579); while Dixon opens up a 117-point lead in the Drivers' Championship, with 386 points to 269 for the second-ranked Josef Newgarden.
Today's 200-lap contest started on a rough note, with three Honda drivers – Alexander Rossi, Zach Veach and Marco Andretti – among those eliminated in a multi-car crash just moments after race start.
After starting third, Dixon kept the leaders in sight throughout the first two-thirds of the race on the 1.25-mile oval. Sato meanwhile, fell back to midfield in the early stages, but made improvements to the handling of his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda during each pit stop, and returned to contention for the win in the closing stages.
During the final round of pit stops on Lap 177, Dixon's Chip Ganassi Racing team enabled him to leapfrog O'Ward for the lead, with Sato emerging in third. Sato then executed a thrilling outside pass of O'Ward for second on Lap 179 and began his chase of Dixon for the victory. At the checkers, Dixon held on for the win by the narrow margin of just 14 hundredths of a second.
Behind the lead trio at the finish, Colton Herta continued his run of consistent results this year, ending the day fourth, with Markus Ericsson making it four Honda drivers in the top five at the checkers.
Next Today's race was the opening round of a doubleheader NTT INDYCAR SERIES weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway. Tomorrow's 200-lap finale starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT, with live coverage on the NBC Sports Network.
Quotes Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) Started 3rd, finished 1st; scores his 50th career Indy car victory, his 4th and Honda's 6th win of 2020; leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship by 117 points after 8 races: "I can't thank the PNC Bank crew enough. It was a superb race all day. I knew [Takuma] Sato was going to be strong at the end, but I didn't realize how strong he was coming. We were kind of going into a reserve mode, looking after the engine, and he was there with a head of steam. [the margin of victory was just 0.1404 seconds] I am just so happy for this team. Last week at Indianapolis [when he finished second to Sato] was a bit of a bummer. So, it was nice to get a win. Fifty career-wins – that sounds awesome. We've got to keep on truckin' and get a few more. But I can't thank Honda and HPD enough. I'm proud to be powered by them. What they've done, especially this year, is just phenomenal, and how quick their cars have been. This is just awesome."
Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda) Indianapolis 500 winner last weekend, started 5th, finished 2nd: "Obviously, the team did a fantastic job. From last week [winning at Indianapolis], we carried a lot of momentum. We lost some places at the beginning of the race. I wasn't entirely comfortable in the car. But we made improvements to the car at every [pit] stop, and by the end were strong. My Abeam car was phenomenal, and the Honda power was exceptional, again. Big congrats to Ganassi and [Scott] Dixon. Fantastic win for them."
Allen Miller (Race Team Principal, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's Honda win at WWT Raceway, Honda's 6th win in 8 races this season: "Today's final 50 laps looked like a continuation of last weekend's Indianapolis 500, with Scott [Dixon] and Takuma [Sato] once more fighting for the victory. Congratulations to Scott on his milestone 50th career Indy car victory, to Chip Ganassi Racing for their fifth win in eight races this season and to Takuma for a well-earned podium result following his win last week at Indy. This has been an incredible season for Honda and everyone at Honda Performance Development should be proud of these achievements."
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Race 1 Circuit: World Wide Technology Raceway (1.25-mile oval) Madison, Illinois 2019 Winner:Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) 136.874 mph average Weather: Overcast, humid, windy, 82 degrees F
